The Regulation Effect of Phosphoryl Group on Amino Acid Side Chain

The amino acids' side chains act as the relay device to modulate the chemical reactivity of the N-phosphoryl amino acids. The N-dialkyl phosphoryl cysteine is stable, but the N-dialkyl phosphoryl serine or threoine was converted into many kinds of products at 40℃. The N-dialkyl phosphoryl gltamic acid is a stable compound, while the N-dislkyl phosphoryl aspartic acid was transferred into the peptides, esters and the phosphoryl ester-exchanged products under mild conditions. The N-dialkyl phosphoryl histidine has the similar reactivity through the co-participation of the side chain, carboxyl and phosphoryl groups. A hexacoordinate phosphorus was proposed to account for this differentiation and promotion effect.     

Thermokinetic Study on the Reversible Competitive Inhibition of Bovine Liver Arginase

Introduction Arginase (EC 3.5.3.1) is a widespread and very im-portant enzyme in mammals, which specifically cata-lyzes the hydrolysis of L-arginine to urea and the non-protein amino acid L-ornithine, a key step in the urea cycle.1 Urea is the principal metabolite for disposal of nitrogen as a neutral and nontoxic waste product formed during amino acid metabolism in mammals. L-ornithine serves as a biosynthetic precursor to L-proline and the polyamines such as putrescine, sper-mine (in eucar…     

Study on Fmoc Solid-phase Synthesis and Activity of Thymosin α1

Thymosin α1 (Tα1), an immunologically polypeptide, [1] is highly acidic composed of 28 amino acid residues with acetylserine as the NH2 terminus. The MW of this peptide is 3108, with pI 4.2. There are many Asp and Glu in this molecule and the complete amino acid sequence of Tα1 is Ac-Ser-Asp-Ala-Ala-Val-Asp-Thr-Ser-Ser-Glu-IleThr-Thr-Lys-Asp-Leu-Lys-Glu-Lys-Lys-Glu-Val-Val-Glu-Glu-Ala-Glu-Asn-OH. This peptide has potent biological activity and has been found to be 10～ 1000 times as active as thymosin F5. In this paper, a Tα1 has been synthe sized by a solid-phase method. Peptide synthesis was performed manually by the stepwise solid-phase method using the base-labile Fmoc group for protecting the α-amino acid. [2]     

Isolation and Characterization of Two Novel Gene Encoded Alkaline Esterases from an Alkaline Soil Metagenomic Library

<正>The development of industrial biotechnology has created an increasing demand for alkaline lipolytic enzymes with functional diversity.In this study,an alkaline soil metagenomic library was constructed to search for new lipolytic enzymes.Two novel gene encoded alkaline esterases(designated as estA and estB) were isolated by functional screening from the library.The estA gene consisted of 834 bp and coded for 277 amino acids with a molecular mass of 29998.Amino acid sequence homology analysis indicates that EstA belongs toα/βhydrolase fold family 4.4(abH4.4),with EstA being the smallest member of that family yet reported.The estB gene consisted of 1185 bp and encoded 394 amino acids with a theoretical molecular mass of 40090.Its conserved domain analysis shows that EstB belongs to the GDSL hydrolase superfamily.Both EstA and EstB exhibit only moderate identity(38%) in amino acid sequence to the known lipolytic enzyme genes in the database.The two genes were respectively expressed in Escherichia coli and the protein products were purified for functional characterization.While the expressed EstA did not exhibit the functional properties that were superior to those of other esterases previously reported,the EstB was stable at temperature up to 45℃and its maximum activity was measured to be 53.6 U/mg at pH=10.Both the enzymes have further enriched the diversity of the lipolytic enzymes database and also appear to be promising biocatalysts for potential biotechnological application.     

Functional sulfur amino acid production and seawater remediation system by sterile Ulva sp. (chlorophyta)

Sterile Ulva, which is a macroalga, has the potential to grow stably; therefore, this seaweed is expected to be an efficient resource of functional food containing various nutrients such as sulfur amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals. Ulva lactuca was selected from the “Marine Park” in Tokyo Bay, and its growth rate (g-dry/[m²·d]) was measured using model reactors located on the land or on the surface of the sea at Yokohama. The growth rate of U. lactuca was recorded to be approx 20 g-dry/(m²·d), which is estimated to be 10 times greater than that in a natural field in the Marine Park. In addition, this growth rate was higher than that of conventional crops such as corn and rice on a farm or paddy. These data led us to newly design and propose a floating type of labor-efficient U. lactuca production system. d-Cysteinolic acid, which is included in U. lactuca as a major sulfur amino acid, inhibited the Fenton reaction, resulting in suppression of hydroxyl radical production and singlet oxygen. Addition of the sulfur amino acid (1μM) to HepG2 cells markedly decreased the intracellular triglyceride level. Hence, this proposed facility also has the potential for industrial production of a valuable resource for the primary prevention of lifestyle-related diseases using enriched or eutrophied seawater.     

In situ scanning FTIR microscopy and IR imaging of Pt electrode surface towards CO adsorption

In situ scanning FTIR microscopy was built up for the first time in the present work, which consists of an FTIR apparatus, an IR microscope, an X-Y mapping stage, and the specially designed electrochemical IR cell and computer software. It has been demonstrated that this new space-resolvd in situ IR technique can be used to study vibration properties of micro-area, and to perform IR imaging of electrode surface. The chemical image obtained using this technique fur CO adsorption on Pt electrode illustrated, at a space-resolution of 10~(-2) cm, the inhomogeneity and the distribution of reactivity of micro-area of electrode surface.     

Hemin-histamine-montmorillonite clay conjugate as a model biocatalyst to mimic natural peroxidase

We successfully synthesized the first hemin-montmorillonite bio-conjugate with an amino acid residue to mimic natural peroxidase enzyme. Histamine was intercalated in montmorillonite by cation exchange, then a hemin molecule was loaded onto the histamine-montmorillonite with an adsorption capacity of 7.0 mg g-1. The hemin-histamine-montmorillonite conjugate shows high peroxidase activity as indicated by the oxidation of guaiacol, which is attributed to the activation of hemin by Fe–N complex formation between the imidazole group in histamine and the iron ion in the hemin molecule. Temperature- dependent peroxidase activity for this synthesized biomimetic material indicates that raising the reaction temperature could significantly enhance the activity of the conjugate. The biomimetic catalyst has good reusability; nearly 100% activity can be retained after three cycles. Because montmorillonite clay is widely distributed in the environment, this material offers great potential for in situ and ex situ remediation of many organic contaminants in surface/subsurface soils.     

DFT Study on a Heterofullerene C_(58)Sn with Odd Number of Atoms

Density functional theory calculations and structural minimization techniques have been employed to characterize the structural and electronic properties of [5,6]-heterofullerene-C58Sn-C2. Since the heterofullerene molecule CssSn has a nearly planar tetra-coordinated Sn atom on the skeleton of cage, it is a heterofullerene molecule with odd number of atoms and a novel molecule. Vibrational frequencies of the molecule have been calculated at the B3LYP/CEP-31G level of theory. The absence of imaginary vibrational frequency confirms that the molecule corresponds to a true minimum on the potential energy hypersurface, and its heat of formation was estimated in this study. Owing to the C2 symmetry of [5,6]-heterofullerene-C58Sn-C2, it is a chiral molecule.     

纳米尺寸材料的结构和性质III：铁纳米粒子的结构和性质

Molecular dynamics computer simulation has been carded out to study the structure and physical properties of iron nanoparticles with 331 to 2133 Fe atoms or with diameter from 2.3 to 4.3 nm. The core of liquid nanodroplets has the similar structure of the bulk molten iron liquid that has an average coordination number around 10.5 and the packing density around 0.45, although the closest Fe-Fe distance is slightly longer in the bulk liquid. Most of the iron nanoparticles formed from the cooling of molten nanodroplets have the same body center cubic crystal structure as it was observed in the bulk under the normal temperature and pressure. Lattice contraction was observed for iron nanoparticles. An amorphous solid and an HCP like solid were obtained accidentally during the quenching runs on Fe331 nanoparticles. The physical properties of iron nanoparticles such as molar volume, density, thermal expansion coefficient, melting point, heat of fusion, heat capacity and diffusion coefficient were estimated based on the results obtained from this simulation. The dependence of physical properties on the nanoparticle sizes was addressed.     

Purification and Characterization of a Proteolytic Enzyme from Fig Latex

Ficin is an important component of plants in Ficus family such as fig latex. It is of special significance in medicine and industry because it exhibits activity throughout a wide range of temperature and pH values. In this work, we purified a component of ficin from the latex homogeneity of Shandong fig trees, and the properties of the purified ficin were studied. The current findings revealed that heavy metal ions were able to inhibit ficin, while DTT, L-cysteine, and β-ME were found to promote ficin activity. It was also observed that the half life of ficin at 65 °C was longer than 1 h and the Michaelis constant（Km） for casein hydrolyzation was determined to be 1.56 mg/mL. Our study shows that this purified ficin is a cysteine protease.     

Validated method for L-ornithine-L-aspartate analysis in human plasma by capillary electrophoresis

A rapid capillary electrophoresis method for routine determination of two amino acids, L-ornithine and L-aspartic acid, in human plasma is reported. The method runs automatically, requires a minimum of sample preparation and moreover includes no extensive extraction and no gradient or derivatization procedure. Analyses were performed on an uncoated silica capillary using buffer solution composed with 10 mM sodium tetraborate and 1 M sodium hydroxide (pH=10.0). A capillary electrophoresis P/ACE system equipped with UV detection (200 nm), an automatic injector, a fluid cooled cartridge and System Gold data station was used in this study. The total analysis time under these conditions was 8.0 min. The calibration curve was linear in the range 10-280 microg mL-1 for L-aspartic acid and 20-280 microg mL-1 for L-ornithine (for both amino acids, r=0.999). The method was validated by inaccuracy (bias) and precision (RSD) studies by analysing samples. The method was successfully applied to the quantitative determination of L-ornithine-L-aspartate in human plasma and could be useful for clinical and bioavailability investigations.     

DFT investigation of the formation of linear aminols as the first step toward the induction of oxidatively generated interstrand cross-link DNA lesions

Apyrimidinic/apurinic sites feature among the most prevalent DNA lesions. If not repaired, it has been recently evidenced that they are prone to react in situ with vicinal nucleobases, evolving toward more complex and highly mutagenic interstrand cross-links. Information concerning the structure and the multi-step reactivity leading to such clustered defects is scarce due to their low formation yield. This study reports a DFT exploration of the condensation reaction between a ketoaldehyde (derived from an oxidized C4’ abasic site) and three nucleobases featuring an amino group. They are found to present a very similar intrinsic reactivity, indicating in turn that differences of reactivity arise more from the relative positioning of the two reactive fragments within a flexible B-DNA. We also probe the role of a vicinal water molecule for the formation of the aminol and the requirements to reach an adequate estimate of this strongly exothermic reaction, which drives the DNA damage process.     

Synthesis,computational, molecular docking studies and photophysical properties of (Z)-N-(pyrimidin-2-yl)-4-(thiophen-2-ylmethylene)amino) benzenesulfonamide

The (Z)-N-(pyrimidin-2-yl)-4-(thiophen-2-ylmethylene)amino) benzenesulfonamide (TH2DA) were synthesized and characterized by the Infrared, UV–Visible, and NMR analysis. Using density functional theory, the current work is a set of theoretical studies on TH2DA. The compound molecular structure and geometry were defined using DFT. Topological studies, like ELF, LOL, ALIE, and RDG studies, were done with the Multiwfn-3.8 to find the main binding areas and weak interactions in the molecule. Using the IEFPCM solvation model were used to study the calculated UV–Visible spectrum. The HOMO-LUMO, MEP, and NLO properties were carried out in the gas phase. The NBO calculations are used to study how charges move between and within the molecule and stability of this molecule. A pharmacological analysis is done using online tool like Swiss-ADME, to see if the molecule could be potential drug candidate; this evaluation looks at the drug-likeness, ADME and eco-friendly toxicity properties of the TH2DA molecule. Auto-dock suite and Discovery studio Visualizer are used to do molecular docking studies.     

The Neglected Nuclei

Since the nuclei in a molecule are treated as stationary, it is perhaps natural that interpretations of molecular properties and reactivity have focused primarily upon the electronic density distribution. The role of the nuclei has generally received little explicit consideration. Our objective has been to at least partially redress this imbalance in emphasis. We discuss a number of examples in which the nuclei play the determining role with respect to molecular properties and reactive behavior. It follows that conventional interpretations based solely upon electronic densities and donating or withdrawing tendencies should be made with caution.     

The chemistry of trimethylamine on Ru(001) and O/Ru(001)

The interaction and reactivity of trimethylamine (TMA) has been studied over clean and oxygen-covered Ru(001) under UHV conditions, as a model for the chemistry of high-density hydrocarbons on a catalytic surface. The molecule adsorbs intact at surface temperature below 100 K with the nitrogen end directed toward the surface, as indicated from work function change measurements. At coverage less than 0.05 ML (relative to the Ru substrate atoms), TMA fully dissociates upon surface heating, with hydrogen as the only evolving molecule following temperature-programmed reaction/desorption (TPR/TPD). At higher coverage, the parent molecule desorbs, and its desorption peak shifts down from 270 K to 115 K upon completion of the first monolayer, indicating a strong repulsion among neighbor molecules. The dipole moment of an adsorbed TMA molecule has been estimated from work function study to be 1.4 D. Oxygen precoverage on the ruthenium surface has shown efficient reactivity with TMA. It shifts the surface chemistry toward the production of various oxygen-containing stable molecules such as H2CO, CO2, and CO that desorb between 200 and 600 K, respectively. TMA at a coverage of 0.5 ML practically cleans off the surface from its oxygen atoms as a result of TPR up to 1650 K, in contrast to CO oxidation on the O/Ru(001) surface. The overall reactivity of TMA on the oxidized ruthenium surface has been described as a multistep reaction mechanism.     

密度泛函活性理论中的Rényi熵, Tsallis熵和Onicescu信息能

根据密度泛函理论,分子的电子密度确定了该体系基态下的所有性质,其中包括结构和反应活性.如何运用电子密度泛函有效地预测分子反应活性仍然是一个有待解决的难题.密度泛函活性理论(DFRT)倾力打造这样一个理论和概念架构,使得运用电子密度以及相关变量准确地预测分子的反应特性成为可能.信息理论方法的香农熵和费舍尔信息就是这样的密度泛函,研究表明,它们均可作为反应活性的有效描述符.本文将在DFRT框架中介绍和引进三个密切相关的描述符, Rényi熵、Tsallis熵和Onicescu信息能.我们准确地计算了它们在一些中性原子和分子中的数值并讨论了它们随电子数量和电子总能量的变化规律.此外,以第二阶Onicescu信息能为例,在分子和分子中的原子两个层面上,系统地考察了其随乙烷二面角旋转的变化模式.这些新慨念的引入将为我们深入洞察和预测分子的结构和反应活性提供额外的描述工具.     

Synthesis,Computational, Electronic spectra,and molecular docking studies of 4-((diphenylmethylene)amino)-N-(pyrimidin-2-yl)benzenesulfonamide

The 4-((diphenylmethylene)amino)-N-(pyrimidin-2-yl)benzenesulfonamide (BENDA) was synthesized and characterized by the Infrared, UV-Visible, and NMR analysis. Using density functional theory, the current work is a set of theoretical studies on BENDA. The compound molecular structure and geometry were defined using DFT. Topological studies, like ELF, LOL, ALIE, and RDG studies, were done with the Multiwfn-3.8 to find the main binding areas and weak interactions in the molecule. Using the IEFPCM solvation model was used to study the calculated UV-Visible spectrum. The HOMO-LUMO, MEP, and NLO properties were carried out in the gas phase. The NBO calculations are used to study how charges move between and within the molecule and the stability of this molecule. A pharmacological analysis is done using an online tool like Swiss-ADME, to see if the molecule could be a potential drug candidate; this evaluation looks at the drug-likeness, ADME, and eco-friendly toxicity properties of the BENDA molecule. Auto-dock suite and Discovery studio Visualizer are used to do molecular docking against 5UVC protein.