Regioselectivity of olefin oxidation by iodosobenzene catalyzed by metalloporphyrins : control by the catalyst

The regioselectivity of the oxidation of three monosubstituted olefins, 6-phenoxyhex-1-ene, hex-1-ene and styrene, by iodosobenzene in the presence of various Fe-, Mn- or Cr-tetraaryl-porphyrins, was studied. It was found that, besides epoxides, known products from such systems, allylic alcohols and aldehydes were formed, the latter not being derived from the corresponding epoxides. The relative importance of these reactions greatly depends upon both the metal and porphyrin constituents of the catalyst. More particularly, the competition between epoxidation and allylic hydroxylation can be efficiently controlled by non-bonded interactions between the olefin and porphyrin substituents. No hydroxylation of the aromatic rings and no oxidative dealkylation of the ether function was detected.     

Enantiomer separation by CEC——Enantiomer separation by packed-capillary electrochromatography

Three chiral compounds were successfully separated in a short time with two enantiomer separation models on packed-capillary electrochromatography (CEC). (i) 75 μm I.D. capillaries were packed with 5 μm β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) chiral stationary phase (CSP). Effects of voltage, pH and concentration of organic modifier on electroosmotic flow (EOF) and chiral separations were investigated systematically. Enantiomers of a neutral compound (benzoin) and a neutral drug (mephenytoin) were separated within a short time with high efficiency. Efficiency of 32 000 theoretical plates per meter and resolution (R_s) of 1.42 were achieved for enantiomers of benzoin using a βCD packed column with 6.2 cm packed length. Efficiency of 45 000 theoretical plates per meter and R_s of 3.40 were obtained for enantiomers of mephenytoin. Especially, the enantiomer separation of mephenytion was performed in just 3.4 min with R_s of 2.60. (ⅱ) 75 μm I.D. capillary was packed with octadecylsilica particles (ODS). Chiral separat     

Membrane solubilization by detergent: resistance conferred by thickness

The commonly held model for membrane dissolution by detergents/surfactants requires lipid transport from the inner to the outer bilayer leaflet ('flip-flop'). Although applicable to many systems, it fails in cases where cross-bilayer transport of membrane components is suppressed. In this paper we investigate the mechanism for surfactant-induced solubilization of polymeric bilayers. To that end, we examine the dissolution of a series of increasingly thick, polymer-based vesicles (polymersomes) by a nonionic surfactant, Triton X-100, using dynamic light scattering. We find that increasing the bilayer thickness imparts better resistance to dissolution, so that the concentration required for solubilization, after a fixed amount of time, increases nearly linearly with membrane thickness. Combining our experimental data with a theoretical model, we show that the dominant mechanism for the surfactant-induced dissolution of polymeric vesicles, where polymer flip-flop across the membrane is suppressed, is the surfactant transport through the bilayer. This mechanism is different both qualitatively and quantitatively from the mechanisms by which surfactants dissolve pure lipid vesicles.     

Antibiotic recognition by binuclear metallo-beta-lactamases revealed by X-ray crystallography

Metallo-beta-lactamases are zinc-dependent enzymes responsible for resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics in a variety of host bacteria, usually Gram-negative species that act as opportunist pathogens. They hydrolyze all classes of beta-lactam antibiotics, including carbapenems, and escape the action of available beta-lactamase inhibitors. Efforts to develop effective inhibitors have been hampered by the lack of structural information regarding how these enzymes recognize and turn over beta-lactam substrates. We report here the crystal structure of the Stenotrophomonas maltophilia L1 enzyme in complex with the hydrolysis product of the 7alpha-methoxyoxacephem, moxalactam. The on-enzyme complex is a 3'-exo-methylene species generated by elimination of the 1-methyltetrazolyl-5-thiolate anion from the 3'-methyl group. Moxalactam binding to L1 involves direct interaction of the two active site zinc ions with the beta-lactam amide and C4 carboxylate, groups that are common to all beta-lactam substrates. The 7beta-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)malonyl]-amino substituent makes limited hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding contacts with the active site groove. The mode of binding provides strong evidence that a water molecule situated between the two metal ions is the most likely nucleophile in the hydrolytic reaction. These data suggest a reaction mechanism for metallo-beta-lactamases in which both metal ions contribute to catalysis by activating the bridging water/hydroxide nucleophile, polarizing the substrate amide bond for attack and stabilizing anionic nitrogen intermediates. The structure illustrates how a binuclear zinc site confers upon metallo-beta-lactamases the ability both to recognize and efficiently hydrolyze a wide variety of beta-lactam substrates.     

DNA damage by sulfite autoxidation catalyzed by cobalt complexes

DNA damage was investigated in the presence of sulfite, dissolved oxygen and cobalt(II) complexes with glycylglycylhistidine, glycylhistidyllysine, glycylglycyltyrosylarginine and tetraglycine. These studies indicated that only Co(II) complexed with glycylglycylhistidine (GGH) induced DNA strand breaks at low sulfite concentrations (1-80 microM) via strong oxidants formed in the reaction. In the presence of the other complexes, some damage occurred only in the presence of high sulfite concentrations (0.1-2.0 mM) after incubation for 4 h. In the presence of GGH, Co(II) and dissolved O2, DNA damage must involve a reactive high-valent cobalt complex. The damaging effect was increased by adding S(IV), due to the oxysulfur radicals formed as intermediates in S(IV) autoxidation catalyzed by the complex. SO3 -, HO and H radicals were detected by EPR-spin trapping experiments with DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide). The results indicate that Co(II) binds O2 in the presence of GGH, and leads to the formation of a DMPO-HO adduct without first forming free superoxide or hydroxyl radical, supporting the participation of a reactive high-valent cobalt complex.     

Glycosidase inhibition by macrolide antibiotics elucidated by STD-NMR spectroscopy

A glycosynthase approach was attempted to glycodiversify macrolide antibiotics, using DesR, a family-3 retaining beta-glucosidase involved in the self-resistance mechanism of methymycin production. STD-NMR was used to probe enzyme-substrate interactions. Analysis of competitive STD-NMR experiments between erythromycin A and a chromogenic substrate (pNP-beta-d-glucose) with the hydrolytically inactive nucleophile mutants led us to discover a family of unprecedented glycosidase inhibitors. Analysis of kinetic data with wild-type DesR determined that erythromycin is a competitive inhibitor of the glucosidase (IC50 = 2.8 +/- 0.3 microM and Ki = 2 +/- 0.2 microM) with respect to the hydrolysis of pNP-beta-d-glucose. Comparable inhibitory data was obtained for clarithromycin; however, the inhibitory effect of azithromycin was weak and no significant inhibition was observed with methymycin or d-desosamine. This report documents significant inhibition of glycosidases by macrolide antibiotics and provides insight into the design of novel glycosidase inhibitors based on the macrolactone ring of macrolide antibiotics.     

Multitargeting by curcumin as revealed by molecular interaction studies

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), the active ingredient in turmeric (Curcuma longa), is a highly pleiotropic molecule with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, chemopreventive, chemosensitization, and radiosensitization activities. The pleiotropic activities attributed to curcumin come from its complex molecular structure and chemistry, as well as its ability to influence multiple signaling molecules. Curcumin has been shown to bind by multiple forces directly to numerous signaling molecules, such as inflammatory molecules, cell survival proteins, protein kinases, protein reductases, histone acetyltransferase, histone deacetylase, glyoxalase I, xanthine oxidase, proteasome, HIV1 integrase, HIV1 protease, sarco (endo) plasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase, DNA methyltransferases 1, FtsZ protofilaments, carrier proteins, and metal ions. Curcumin can also bind directly to DNA and RNA. Owing to its β-diketone moiety, curcumin undergoes keto-enol tautomerism that has been reported as a favorable state for direct binding. The functional groups on curcumin found suitable for interaction with other macromolecules include the α, β-unsaturated β-diketone moiety, carbonyl and enolic groups of the β-diketone moiety, methoxy and phenolic hydroxyl groups, and the phenyl rings. Various biophysical tools have been used to monitor direct interaction of curcumin with other proteins, including absorption, fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, surface plasmon resonance, competitive ligand binding, Forster type fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), radiolabeling, site-directed mutagenesis, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), immunoprecipitation, phage display biopanning, electron microscopy, 1-anilino-8-naphthalene-sulfonate (ANS) displacement, and co-localization. Molecular docking, the most commonly employed computational tool for calculating binding affinities and predicting binding sites, has also been used to further characterize curcumin's binding sites. Furthermore, the ability of curcumin to bind directly to carrier proteins improves its solubility and bioavailability. In this review, we focus on how curcumin directly targets signaling molecules, as well as the different forces that bind the curcumin-protein complex and how this interaction affects the biological properties of proteins. We will also discuss various analogues of curcumin designed to bind selective targets with increased affinity.     

Ring opening of aziridines by aromatic thiols followed by amino-substitution

Ring opening of 2-aziridinecarboxylic acid methyl ester by a number of aromatic thiols under solvent-free and non-catalytic conditions resulted in bis-arylsulfanyl propanoic acid esters.     

Hydroalumination of cycloolefins by diisobutylaluminum hydride catalyzed by zirconium compounds

Conclusions Zirconium chloroalkoxides are effective catalysts for the hydroalumination of cycloolefins by diisobutylaluminum hydride.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 669–673, March, 1982.     

Flocculation mechanism induced by cationic polymers investigated by light scattering

Three cationic polymers with molecular weights and charge densities of 3.0 x 10(5) g/mol and 10%, 1.1 x 10(5) g/mol and 40%, and 1.2 x 10(5) g/mol and 100% were chosen as flocculants to aggregate silica particles (90 nm), under various conditions, including change in polymer dosage, particle concentration, background electrolyte concentration, and shear rate. The size and structure of flocs produced were determined using the static light scattering technique. On the basis of measurements of polymer adsorption and its effect on the zeta potential and floc properties, it has been found that the polymer charge density plays an important role in determining the flocculation mechanism. Polymers with a 10% charge density facilitate bridging, 40% charged polymers bring about either a combination of charge neutralization and bridging or bridging, depending on the polymer dosage, and polymers with the charge density of 100% induce electrostatic patch flocculation mechanism at the optimum polymer dosage and below but bring about bridging mechanism at the polymer dosage approaching the adsorption plateau value. Bridging aggregation can readily be affected by the particle concentration, and an increase in particle concentration results in the formation of larger but looser aggregates, whereas electrostatic patch aggregation is independent of particle concentration. The addition of a background electrolyte aids in bridging aggregation while it is detrimental to electrostatic patch aggregation. It has also been found that the effect of shear rate on the mass fractal dimension depends on polymer charge density.     

Kinetics of chalcone oxidation by peroxide anion catalysed by poly-l-leucine

An insight into the kinetics, mechanism and optimum reaction conditions of the Julia-Colonna epoxidation has been gained using a soluble polyleucine catalyst.     

X-ray scattering by water molecules studied by using synchrotron radiation

The energy spectra of free water molecules were measured at scattering angles 2θ ranging from 10.5° to 75.7°, using an angle-dispersive-type diffractometer and synchrotron radiation as an X-ray source. A silicon (111) monochrometer was used to obtain incident X-rays with the wavelengths of (1.543/n) Å (n = 1,3,4,5). Observed inelastic scattering peaks are clearly separated from eleastic ones at s values [s = (4π/λ) sin Å] larger than 8 Å^?1. The increase of the separation with an increasing s value was consistent with the classical theory of the Compton shift. The total (elastic plus inelastic) intensities were obtained over a range of s = 0.74–5.0 Å^?1. Experimental difference intensities Δσ_ee and Δσ_ne were obtained separately by combining the X-ray and high-energy electron scattering data. The experimental results are in reasonable agreement with the theoretical intensities calculated from SCF and CI molecular wave functions with a basis set of double-zeta plus polarization functions. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The Reduction of Benzofuroxans by Ferrous Salts and by Thiophenol

Treatment of benzofuroxan derivatives with ferrous sulphate in DMSO/water solution affords in high yield o-nitroanilines. o-Nitroaniline was also obtained by reduction of benzofuroxan with thiophenol in presence of catalytic amount of Fe²⁺ or Fe³⁺ salts.     

Nanoporous carbons obtained by carbonization of copolymers impregnated by salts

This paper demonstrates the results of research on influence of types of polymer and kinds of salts used for impregnation of the polymer on porous structure formation in the final carbonaceous product. The studies were performed in two stages. In the first stage, the role of polymer structure were mainly studied. To achieve the aim, three different porous copolymers (polyimide and two types of polyester) were impregnated with the same salts (NiSO₄, and the mixture of AgNO₃ and Gd(NO₃)₃). In the second part of the study, only one polymer (polyimide) was impregnated by three mixtures of salts (chlorides, nitrates and sulphates of K, Cu(II) and Fe(III)). This approach allowed to evaluate the impact of the mixture of salts on porosity of the carbons, which were to be prepared. The obtained results revealed that when the impregnation was applied as a method for activation and moulding of porosity of carbonaceous materials prepared from polymers, several factors should be taken into account. First of all, initial decomposition temperatures of the polymers and the salts should be compared to find out if carbonization and activation processes proceed simultaneously or not. If the copolymer was carbonized and gases were released from decomposing salts, they reacted each other and synergic effect of polymer and salts properties were observed. Such conditions favored the development of microporous structure of the obtained carbon. On the contrary, if the processes were separated in time because of high temperature of melting point of the salts more mesopores were retained.