Oxathiaphospholane approach to N- and O-phosphorothioylation of amino acids

A method of highly efficient synthesis of N- and O-phosphorothioylated amino acids was developed. N- and O-(2-Thiono-1,3,2-oxathiaphospholanyl)amino acid methyl esters (3) were prepared in high yields in reaction of amino acid methyl esters with 2-chloro-1,3,2-oxathiaphospholane in pyridine in the presence of elemental sulfur. Compounds 3 were converted in high yield into the corresponding methyl or benzyl phosphorothioamides 6 and 7 by DBU-assisted treatment with methanol or benzyl alcohol. When 3-hydroxypropionitrile was used instead of methanol or benzyl alcohol, the corresponding 2-cyanoethylphosphorothioamidates 4 were obtained in high yield, from which the 2-cyanoethyl group was removed with concentrated ammonium hydroxide. The oxathiaphospholane methodology was also applied for the phosphorylation of amino acids. Thus, 2-oxo-1,3,2-oxathiaphospholane derivatives 10 were prepared by oxidation of compounds 3 with SeO(2.) Compounds 10 were transformed into the corresponding phosphate diesters or amidoesters upon treatment with 3-hydroxypropionitrile in the presence of DBU. The DBU-assisted oxathiaphospholane ring-opening process in 3 and 10 did not cause any measurable C-racemization of phosphorothioylated/phosphorylated amino acids.     

Chlorotrimethylsilane Mediated Formation of ω-Allyl Esters of Aspartic And Glutamic Acids

The protection of the ω-carboxylic function of aspartic and glutamic acids by an allyl ester is advantageous because of its orthogonality with most protecting groups and its compatibility with a number of reagents. In this communication we describe a simple method using chlorotrimethylsilane in the presence of allyl alcohol which gives exclusively the ω-allyl esters of both aspartic and glutamic acids in excellent yield.     

Heart‐cutting 2D‐CE with on‐line preconcentration for the chiral analysis of native amino acids

The use of transient moving chemical reaction boundary (tMCRB) was investigated for the on‐line preconcentration of native amino acids in heart‐cutting 2D‐CE with multiple detection points using contactless conductivity detection. The tMCRB focusing was obtained by using ammonium formate (pH 8.56) as sample matrix and acetic acid (pH 2.3) as a BGE in the first dimension of the heart‐cutting 2D‐CE. Different experimental parameters such as the injected volume and the concentration in ammonium formate were optimized for improving the sensitivity of detection. A stacked fraction from the first dimension was selected, isolated in the capillary, and then separated in the second dimension in the presence of a chiral selector ((+)‐(18‐crown‐6)‐2,3,11,12‐tetracarboxylic acid). This on‐line tMCRB preconcentration coupled with heart‐cutting 2D‐CE was applied with success to the chiral separation of D ,L ‐phenylalanine, and D ,L ‐threonine in a mixture of 22 native amino acids. The sample mixture was diluted in 0.8 M of ammonium formate, and injected at a concentration of 2.5 μM for each enantiomer with a volume corresponding to 10% of the total capillary volume. An LOD (S/N=3) of 2 μM was determined for L ‐threonine.     

Optimization of dynamic pH junction for the sensitive determination of amino acids in urine by capillary electrophoresis

A capillary electrophoresis method with UV-absorbance detection was studied and optimized for the determination of underivatized amino acids in urine. To improve concentration sensitivity the utility of in-capillary analyte stacking via dynamic pH junction was investigated with phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr) as model amino acids. Before sample injection, a plug of ammonium hydroxide solution was injected to enable analyte concentration. Samples were 1:1 (v/v) mixed with background electrolyte (1 M formic acid) prior to injection. The effect of the injected sample volume, and the injected ammonium hydroxide volume and concentration on analyte stacking and separation performance was investigated. The optimal volume of ammonium hydroxide depended on the injected sample volume. Using a dynamic pH junction good resolution (1.4) was obtained for a sample injection volume of 10% of the capillary (196 nl) with Phe and Tyr dissolved in water. Limits of detection (LODs) were 0.036 and 0.049 μM for Phe and Tyr, respectively. For urine samples, the optimized procedure comprised a 1.7-nl injection of 12.5% ammonium hydroxide, followed by a 196-nl injection of urine spiked with Phe and Tyr. Satisfactory resolution was obtained and amino acid peak widths at half height were only 1.6 s indicating efficient stacking. Calibration plots for Phe and Tyr in urine showed good linearity (R(2) > 0.96) in the concentration range 10-175 μM, and LODs for Phe and Tyr were 0.054 and 0.019 μM, respectively. RSDs for peak area and migration time for Phe and Tyr were below 7.5% and 0.75%, respectively.     

Doping of processable conducting poly(m‐aminophenol) with silver nanoparticles

Processable poly(m‐aminophenol) (PmAP) was synthesized using ammonium persulfate (APS) oxidant in 0.6 M sodium hydroxide solution at room temperature. Soluble silver hydroxide ammonium complex was formed by dissolving silver nitrate in excess liquor ammonia and the thermal decomposition of this complex easily produced silver nanoparticle. Then, in situ silver nanoparticle‐doped PmAP film was obtained by casting PmAP film from dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with silver hydroxide ammonia complex mixture at 140°C. The nanocomposite was characterized by ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy, Fourier transformed spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersion spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and X‐ray diffraction analysis. The average size of the nanoparticle was around 130–140 nm as confirmed by the TEM analysis. Synthesized PmAP silver nanocomposite showed the highest DC‐conductivity of 1.03 × 10^?6 S/cm. From the above characterizations, it can be said that silver nanoparticle shows some doping effect on the conductivity of PmAP. The doping level of the silver nanoparticle inside the polymer was optimized in terms of DC‐conductivity of the silver nanoparticle‐doped PmAP film. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ligand-exchange chromatography of amino acids on nickel-Chelex 100.

A ligand-exchange chromatographic proceudre for the selective separation of amino acids from inorganic ions is presented. It was found that the binding of amino acids to the nickel-Chelex 100 resin is pH dependent. At pH 8.5-9.1, only the basic amino acids lysine, histidine and arginine are quantitatively attached to the complex, whereas at pH 11, other amino acids with the exception of aspartic acid and glutamic acid are also bound, although not quantitatively. All of the amino acids can be eluted from the complex with 3 M ammonia solution without the displacement of nickel ions from the complex. This method can be used for the removal of the basic amino acids from solutions in the presence of inorganic ions as well as other amino acids.     

Picosecond pulse radiolysis study of highly concentrated nitric acid solutions: formation mechanism of NO3• radical

The formation of nitrate radical, NO(3)(?), is observed for the first time directly by picosecond pulse radiolysis of highly concentrated nitric acid solutions. The experimental yield of NO(3)(-) ionization is deduced from the pulse-probe transient absorption measurements in the visible region where this radical absorbs. On the basis of the value of the extinction coefficient of nitrate radical at 640 nm equal to 1300 M cm(-1), the experimental yield of NO(3)(?) at 20 ps is found to be around 0.36 × 10(-7), 1.33 × 10(-7), and 2.85 × 10(-7) mol J(-1) for 1, 3.5, and 7 M nitric acid solutions, respectively. Relative to the dose absorbed by nitric acid by the direct effect, we find an unexpected high formation yield of the nitrate radical within the electron pulse. Therefore, we suggest that the trapping of the positive hole, H(2)O(?+), by NO(3)(-) also contributes to the formation of NO(3)(?) within the electron pulse. Moreover, after the pulse and within 4 ns, the beginning of the reaction of OH(?) radical with undissociated nitric acid is observed for the most concentrated nitric acid solution.     

一种基于共保护策略合成谷胱甘肽的新方法

报道了一种采用谷氨酸席夫碱Ni(II)配合物共保护L-谷氨酸α-氨基和α-羧基合成谷胱甘肽(γ-L-谷氨酰-L-半胱氨酰-甘氨酸)的新方法. 首先由手性助剂——2-[N-(N’-苄基-脯氨酰)氨基]二苯甲酮(1)、六水合氯化镍和L-谷氨酸反应, 得到谷氨酸席夫碱Ni(II)配合物2, 产率为98%; 进而采用二异丙基碳二亚胺(DIC)/1-羟基-苯并三氮唑(HOBt)复合缩合剂法与S-苄基-L-半胱氨酸反应, 得到S-苄基-γ-L-谷氨酰-L-半胱氨酸席夫碱Ni(II)配合物3, 产率为90%; 接着同样采用DIC/HOBt复合缩合剂法与甘氨酸反应, 得到S-苄基-γ-L-谷氨酰-L-半胱氨酰-甘氨酸席夫碱Ni(II)配合物4, 产率为95%; 然后稀酸水解配合物4, 得到S-苄基-γ-L-谷氨酰-L-半胱氨酰-甘氨酸(5), 产率为70%; 最后采用甲酸铵催化转移氢化脱除S-苄基, 得到谷胱甘肽(6), 产率为87%. 中间产物和终产物的结构经由旋光, 1H NMR, 13C NMR和HRMS表征.     

Differential pulse polarographic determination of traces of molybdenum in solar-grade silicon

After dissolution of silicon with hydrofluoric and nitric acids and matrix volatilization as hexafluorosilicic acid, 0.2 M nitric acid and 1.8 M ammonium nitrate are added to the residue. Molybdate is then determined by means of its catalytic wave in nitrate media. The limit of determination is ca. 0.1 μg g^-1 and calibration graphs are linear up to 0.2 μg Mo(VI) ml^-1.     

Vibrational and photoionization spectroscopy of biomolecules: aliphatic amino acid structures

The aliphatic amino acids glycine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine are thermally placed into the gas phase and expanded into a vacuum system for access by time of flight mass spectroscopy and infrared (IR) spectroscopy in the energy range of 2500-4000 cm(-1) (CH, NH, OH, and stretching vibrations). The isolated neutral amino acids are ionized by a single photon of 10.5 eV energy (118 nm), which exceeds by less than 2 eV their reported ionization thresholds. As has been reported for many hydrogen bonded acid-base systems (e.g., water, ammonia, alcohol, acid clusters, and acid molecules), the amino acids undergo a structural rearrangement in the ion state (e.g., in simplest form, a proton transfer) that imparts sufficient excess vibrational energy to the ion to completely fragment it. No parent ions are observed. If the neutral ground state amino acids are exposed to IR radiation prior to ionization, an IR spectrum of the individual isomers for each amino acid can be determined by observation of the ion intensity of the different fragment mass channels. Both the IR spectrum and fragmentation patterns for individual isomers can be qualitatively identified and related to a particular isomer in each instance. Thus, each fragment ion detected presents an IR spectrum of its particular parent amino acid isomer. In some instances, the absorption of IR radiation by the neutral amino acid parent isomer increases a particular fragmentation mass channel intensity, while other fragmentation mass channel intensities decrease. This phenomenon can be rationalized by considering that with added energy in the molecule, the fragmentation channel populations can be modulated by the added vibrational energy in the rearranged ions. This observation also suggests that the IR absorption does not induce isomerization in the ground electronic state of these amino acids. These data are consistent with theoretical predictions for isolated amino acid secondary structures and can be related to previous IR spectra of amino acid conformers.     

Ligand-exchange chromatography of amino acids on copper-, cobalt- and zinc-chelex 100.

Procedures for the ligand-exchange chromatography of amino acids on copper-, cobalt-and zinc-Chelex 100 have been examined. Ligand exchange on the copper complex affords a simple and rapid method for the removal of amino acids (except for aspartic and glutamic acids) from dilute solutions. The influence of the pH on the binding of amino acids to the metal complex was also studied. The bound amino acids could be eluted with ammonium hydroxide which also causes a slight metal leakage. Chromatography on cobalt- and zinc-Chelex 100 showed that only the basic amino acids were quantitatively attached to these complexes at pH 8.3-9.5, whereas the others were predominantly EXCLUDED. This procedure can be used for the selective concentration and removal of basic amino acids in the presence of other amino acids.     

Role of Epoxides in the Oxidation of Allyl Alcohol,Allyl Formate,and Allyl Acetate in Acetic Acid

The formation of epoxy derivatives as intermediate products in the oxidation of allyl alcohol, allylformate, allyl acetate in acetic acid was proved. Intermediate epoxy compounds undergo further trans-formations: They react with acetic acid to give glycerol esters or are converted into polyethers of glyceroland its esters. The rate constants for transformations of 2,3-epoxypropanol, 2,3-epoxypropyl formate, and 2,3-epoxypropyl acetate along these pathways were measured. Higher selectivity of glycerol ester formation from allyl formate was substantiated.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of glutamic acid analogues: substrate specificity and synthetic applications of branched chain aminotransferase from Escherichia coli

A new route to alpha-keto acids is described, based on the ozonolysis of enol acetates obtained from alpha-substituted beta-keto esters. Escherichia coli branched chain aminotransferase (BCAT) activity toward a variety of substituted 2-oxoglutaric acids was demonstrated analytically. BCAT was shown to have a broad substrate spectrum, complementary to that of aspartate aminotransferase, and to offer access to a variety of glutamic acid analogues. The usefulness of BCAT was demonstrated through the synthesis of several 3- and 4-substituted derivatives.     

FLASH PHOTOLYSIS OF RIBONUCLEASE A

Abstract— Flash photolysis spectra show that ultraviolet irradiation of RNase (Λ > 250 nm) at pH 11.5 generates the hydrated electron and a long-lived transient with absorption maxima at 390 nm and 410 nm, attributed to the phenoxyl type radical from tyrosyl residues. Comparison of the initial yields with flash photolysis spectra obtained from aqueous tyrosine and mixtures of the chromophoric amino acids indicates that 3–4 tyrosyl residues are photoionized in the primary act. This process is almost completely quenched at pH 1–9, even though the p -alanylphenoxyl radical is obtained with tyrosine over this pH range and the accompanying electron is observed at pH 7. The negative result is not altered by denaturation of RNase with 8 M urea or heating to 70°C, suggesting that a primary chain interaction is responsible for the suppression of tyrosyl residue photolysis. This mechanism is supported by flash photolysis spectra of small peptides, showing that the initial radical yield from tyrosylglycylglycine is strongly quenched compared to tyrosine when the phenolic group is protonated. Comparion of this work with published results on fluorescence and inactivation quantum yields indicates that photochemical electron ejection from RNase in alkaline solutions takes place in the dissociable residues and does not contribute to loss of enzymic activity.     

Radical polymerization of allyl alcohol and allyl acetate

Monoallyl compounds are not readily homopolymerized by a conventional free‐radical mechanism. However, the polymerization of allylbiguanide hydrochloride was reported to proceed in a concentrated solution of hydrochloric or phosphoric acid in the presence of a radical initiator. Here we have studied the polymerization of allyl alcohol by a radical initiator in the presence of a Lewis acid (ZnCl₂, CuCl₂ or MgCl₂) in an organic solvent (toluene, hexane, methanol or isopropanol). Reactions were performed either at room temperature or 50°C under an atmosphere of nitrogen or in a sealed tube. The same polymerization was also carried out in water and in a concentrated acid solution. The polymer product was purified by dialysis in 0.2–3.7% yield and confirmed by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy and ¹H NMR. The molecular weight range of poly(allyl alcohol) was 10,000–35,000. The polymerization of allyl acetate by the radical initiator under the above conditions gave poly(allyl acetate) with the molecular weight range of 10,000–13,800 by multi‐angle laser light scattering. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design and concise synthesis of fully protected analogues of l-gamma-carboxyglutamic acid

The design and synthesis of four nonnaturally occurring amino acid analogues of l-gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla), appropriately protected for Fmoc-based solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), is described. These amino acids are Bu-Mal 2, BCAH 3, Pen-Mal 4, and Cm-Gla 5. These Gla analogues have been designed to replace the glutamic acid of position 1 in the cyclic decapeptide G1TE, which is a potent inhibitor of tyrosine kinase, to further enhance binding to the Grb2-SH2 domain of signal transduction receptors. In the new amino acids, the propionic acid side chain of Glu has been replaced by a malonyl or a carboxymethylmalonyl moiety located at different distances from the alpha-carbon to optimize interactions in the phosphotyrosine-binding cavity of the Grb2-SH2 domain. Additionally, a direct and efficient synthetic route for the preparation of Fmoc-protected l-gamma-carboxyglutamic acid, which is amenable to large-scale production, has been developed to provide this important and unique amino acid(1) in 55% overall yield.     

The mechanism of the electrochemical oxidation of thiourea

Cyclic voltammetry and potentiostatic coulometry were used to study the electrochemical oxidation of thiourea in aqueous solutions of nitric acid, nitric acid—ammonium nitrate, and ammonium nitrate—ammonium hydroxide and in acetonitrile. These studies were carried out at glassy carbon and/or platinum working electrodes. In acetonitrile, the cyclic voltammograms show one oxidation peak at + 0.6 V and a reduction peak at —0.1 V. In aqueous solutions up to about pH 6, there is a second oxidation peak at 1.3 V which is irreversible and its height is sensitive to acidity. These experiments have confirmed that in acidic and neutral solutions the oxidation of thiourea proceeds via a slow 1-e transfer reaction producing a radical [(NH₂)₂—C—S]⁺. Further direct oxidation of this radical takes place only at higher potentials (ca. 1.2 V) and involves hydration and protontransfer equilibria. Otherwise, C,C'-dithiodiformamidinium ion is formed by a fast dimerization reaction. Coulometric and chronopotentiometric measurements have shown that in strong acid the second oxidation step involves one electron, while at lower acidities the further oxidation involving three (and possibly five) electrons proceeds in two (or three) steps of very similar potential.     

Expedient synthesis of threo-beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acid derivatives: phenylalanine, tyrosine, histidine, and tryptophan

An expedient synthesis of enantiomerically pure threo-beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acid derivatives of phenylalanine, tyrosine, histidine, and tryptophan is described. The NBS-mediated radical bromination of the N,N-di-tert-butoxycarbonyl protected alpha-amino acids and subsequent treatment with silver nitrate in acetone provided the trans-oxazolidinones predominantly. Cesium carbonate catalyzed hydrolysis then generated the beta-hydroxy amino acid derivatives in excellent overall yield.     

Modelling protein-RNA interactions: an electron density study of the guanidinium and formate complexes with RNA bases

The complexes formed by the double interaction established between RNA bases and guanidinium and formate ions, as a model for the interacting groups of arginine and glutamic or aspartic amino acid side chains, have been theoretically studied. A density functional theory method (B3LYP/6-31 + G**) has been used for this study. The range of interaction energies obtained allowed for a distinction between bidentate and bifurcate hydrogen bond interactions. The analysis of the electron density and the natural bond orbital analysis shows that these complexes are bound by double hydrogen bonds established between the donor and acceptor groups of guanidinium and formate respectively and those of the RNA bases. Comparisons are made with the results obtained in some previous theoretical and experimental studies.     

Can cluster structure affect kinetic method measurements? The curious case of glutamic acid’s gas-phase acidity

The gas-phase acidities of aspartic, glutamic, and 2-aminoadipic acid have been determined by the kinetic method in a triple-quadrupole instrument. Although aspartic acid behaves in the conventional way and gives a DeltaH(acid) value of 1340 kJ mol(-1), glutamic and 2-aminoadipic acids give kinetic method plots with two distinct slopes. This leads to DeltaH(acid) values of 1350 and 1366 kJ mol(-1) for glutamic acid, and 1355 and 1369 kJ mol(-1) for 2-aminoadipic acid. The value for aspartic acid and the low collision energy value for glutamic acid are consistent with recent measurements by Poutsma and co-workers in a quadrupole ion trap. The experiments are supported by calculations at the G3(MP2) and OLYP/aug-cc-pVTZ levels. Computational studies of model clusters of the amino acids with trifluoroacetate suggest there are distinct preferences. Glutamic and 2-aminoadipic acid prefer clusters where the amino acid adopts a zwitterion-like structure whereas aspartic acid prefers to adopt a conventional (canonic) structure in its clusters. This result along with the computed stabilities of zwitterion-like conformations of the deprotonated amino acids leads to the following explanation for the presence of two slopes in the kinetic method plots. At low collision energies, the deprotonated amino acid dissociates from the cluster, with rearrangement if necessary, to give its preferred conformation, but at high collision energies, the deprotonated amino acid directly dissociates in the conformation preferred in the cluster. For glutamic and 2-aminoadipic acids, this is a zwitterion-like structure that is about 20 kJ mol(-1) less stable than the global minimum.