Physico-chemical characterization of nanofiltration membranes.

This study presents a methodology for an in-depth characterization of six representative commercial nanofiltration membranes. Laboratory-made polyethersulfone membranes are included for reference. Besides the physical characterization [molecular weight cut-off (MWCO), surface charge, roughness and hydrophobicity], the membranes are also studied for their chemical composition [attenuated total reflectance Fourier spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)] and porosity [positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS)]. The chemical characterization indicates that all membranes are composed of at least two different layers. The presence of an additional third layer is proved and studied for membranes with a polyamide top layer. PAS experiments, in combination with FIB (focused ion beam) images, show that these membranes also have a thinner and a less porous skin layer (upper part of the top layer). In the skin layer, two different pore sizes are observed for all commercial membranes: a pore size of 1.25-1.55 angstroms as well as a pore size of 3.20-3.95 angstroms (both depending on the membrane type). Thus, the pore size distribution in nanofiltration membranes is bimodal, in contrast to the generally accepted log-normal distribution. Although the pore sizes are rather similar for all commercial membranes, their pore volume fraction and hence their porosity differ significantly.     

Sequestration within biomolecular condensates inhibits Aβ-42 amyloid formation

Biomolecular condensates are emerging as an efficient strategy developed by cells to control biochemical reactions in space and time by locally modifying composition and environment. Yet, local increase in protein concentration within these compartments could promote aberrant aggregation events, including the nucleation and growth of amyloid fibrils. Understanding protein stability within the crowded and heterogeneous environment of biological condensates is therefore crucial, not only when the aggregation-prone protein is the scaffold element of the condensates but also when proteins are recruited as client molecules within the compartments. Here, we investigate the partitioning and aggregation kinetics of the amyloidogenic peptide Abeta42 (Aβ-42), the peptide strongly associated with Alzheimer''s disease, recruited into condensates based on low complexity domains (LCDs) derived from the DEAD-box proteins Laf1, Dbp1 and Ddx4, which are associated with biological membraneless organelles. We show that interactions between Aβ-42 and the scaffold proteins promote sequestration and local increase of the peptide concentration within the condensates. Yet, heterotypic interactions within the condensates inhibit the formation of amyloid fibrils. These results demonstrate that biomolecular condensates could sequester aggregation-prone proteins and prevent aberrant aggregation events, despite the local increase in their concentration. Biomolecular condensates could therefore work not only as hot-spots of protein aggregation but also as protective reservoirs, since the heterogenous composition of the condensates could prevent the formation of ordered fibrillar aggregates.

Biomolecular condensates sequester an aggregation-prone peptide and prevent its aggregation, showing that heterotypic interactions within the condensates can prevent the formation of amyloid fibrils, despite the local increase in concentration.     

A series of neutral radical CpNi(dithiolene). complexes

The heteroleptic neutral radical dithiolene complexes CpNi(dmit)., CpNi(dsit). and CpNi(dmid).(dmit=1,3-dithiole-2-thione-4,5-dithiolate; dsit=1,3-dithiole-2-thione-4,5-diselenolate; dmid=1,3-dithiole-2-one-4,5-dithiolate) are obtained from the reaction of (Cp2Ni)BF4 with either (n-Bu4N)[Ni(dmit)2] and (n-Bu4N)[Ni(dmid)2] or PhSb(dmit) and PhSb(dsit), respectively. The three complexes reduce reversibly to the corresponding Ni(II) anions and oxidize reversibly to the cationic state. As deduced from DFT calculations performed on CpNi(dmit)., the SOMO of these complexes is essentially localized on the dithiolene moiety with little metal contribution. CpNi(dsit). is isostructural with CpNi(dmit). and crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P2(1). In the solid-state structures of both CpNi(dmit). and CpNi(dsit)., molecules interact through a three-dimensional set of intermolecular interactions mediated by short SS, SeSe and SSe contacts, as confirmed from the temperature and field dependence of the magnetic susceptibility by the observation of an antiferromagnetic ground state below T(Neel)=27 K in CpNi(dmit)., 18 K in CpNi(dsit).. Finally, CpNi(dmid). crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group Pnma. Molecules organize into uniform chains through the stacking of the dmid moieties in a sigma-type face-to-face overlap.     

Investigation of the formation process of MCs+-molecular ions during sputtering

In secondary ion mass spectrometry, the detection of MCs+ clusters (with M an element of the specimen) under a Cs bombardment is frequently used for the quantification of major elements. Despite some very good results obtained by this method, some problems still remain. In order to gain some more insight into these problems, the formation mechanism of the MCs+ clusters is investigated using a Monte Carlo model. It is shown that the majority of the constituent particles of the formed clusters are initially first or second neighbor atoms at the surface and that the velocity distribution of the MCs+ clusters becomes broader and peaked at higher velocities with increasing surface binding energy of the M atom. In addition, it is demonstrated that the interaction potential between the M and Cs+ particle has no influence on the velocity distribution of the MCs+ clusters. On the other hand, the cluster formation probability, defined as the probability that a sputtered M and Cs+ particle will form a MCs+ cluster, is extremely sensitive to this interaction potential. It is also shown that the cluster formation probability decreases with increasing surface binding energy. Finally, a good correspondence is obtained between the calculated and experimental velocity distributions of MCs+ clusters sputtered from different monoatomic materials. As a consequence, the Monte Carlo model and the discussed results can be validated.     

Crystallization and second harmonic generation in thermally poled niobium borophosphate glasses

Crystallization of glasses with compositions (1−x)(0.95 NaPO₃+0.05 Na₂B₄O₇)+xNb₂O₅, x=0.4, 0.43, 0.45, 0.48 was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray powder diffraction. Crystallization of two phases was observed in the glasses with x=0.43-0.48. First phase is a sodium niobate with the structure of tetragonal tungsten bronze () and second phase is Na₄Nb₈P₄O₃₂ (). The crystallization of sodium niobate is correlated with increasing of nonlinear optical efficiency reported for thermally poled glasses with x>0.4. The results of Raman spectroscopy show the formation of three-dimensional (3D) niobium oxide framework in the glasses with increase of niobium concentration. This framework is supposed to have tetragonal tungsten bronze structure and to be responsible for nonlinear optical properties of the glass. Second harmonic generation signals of as prepared and crystallized glass after thermal poling are compared. The nucleation and crystallization do not improve the NLO properties of the glasses under study.     

Ab initio studies of a water layer at transition metal surfaces

This paper presents a detailed study of a water adlayer adsorbed on Pt(111) and Rh(111) surfaces using periodic density functional theory methods. The interaction between the metal surface and the water molecules is assessed from molecular dynamics simulation data and single point electronic structure calculations of selected configurations. It is argued that the electron bands around the Fermi level of the metal substrate extend over the water adlayer. As a consequence in the presence of the water layer the surface as a whole still maintains its metallic conductivity-a result of a crucial importance for understanding the process of electron transfer through the water/metal interface and electrochemical reactions in particular. Our results also indicate that there exists a weak bond between the hydrogen of the water and the Rh metal atoms as opposed to the widespread (classical) models based on purely repulsive interaction. This suggests that the commonly used classical interactions potentials adopted for large scale molecular dynamics simulations of water/metal interfaces may need revision. Two adsorption models of water on transition metals with the OH bonds pointing towards or away of the surface are also examined. It is shown that due to the very close values of their adsorption energies one should consider the real structure of water on the surface as a mixture of these simple "up" and "down" models. A model for the structure of the adsorbed water layer on Rh(111) is proposed in terms of statistical averages from molecular dynamics simulations.     

Metabonomics: the use of electrospray mass spectrometry coupled to reversed-phase liquid chromatography shows potential for the screening of rat urine in drug development

The application of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) followed by principal components analysis (PCA) has been successfully applied to the screening of rat urine following the administration of three candidate pharmaceuticals. With this methodology it was possible to differentiate the control samples from the dosed samples and to identify the components of the mass spectrum responsible for the separation. These data clearly show that LC/MS is a viable alternative, or complementary, technique to proton NMR for metabonomics applications in drug discovery and development.     

Untersuchungen über Enzymaktivitäten der Leberzelle bei Vitamin-E-Mangel

The enzymatic elongation of acyl-CoA esters by malonyl-CoA, respectively de novo synthesis of fatty acids from malonyl-CoA by liver microsomes and non particulate fraction of α-tocopherol deficient rats is diminished versus controls. However, liver microsomes of vitamin E deficient rats synthesize more eicosatetraenic acid from γ-linolenic acid and more γ-linolenic acid from linolic acid than do those of tocopherol supplemented animals. It has often been shown that the liver phosphatides of tocopherol deficient rats contain more arachidonic acid than those of controls, a fact which can be explained now by increased activity of the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of arachidonic acid. Certain polyenic fatty acids are more rapidly synthesized in the absence of naturally occuring antioxidants. Some enzymes of the respiratory chain have also been examined. No vitamin E deficiency effect has been found on enzymes such as gluconate-6-P-dehydrogenase, isocitrate-dehydrogenase, malate-dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase contained in the non particulate fraction. Sonicated mitochondria of tocopherol deficient rats show a greater activity towards cytochrome, oxydase and β-hydroxy-acetyl-CoA-dehydrogenase than controls, possibly due to ultrastractural alteration of this particle.     

Construction of Large Carbocyclic Rings by Ireland-Claisen Rearrangement of O-Silylated Lactone Enolates: Synthesis of (±)-muscone

(±)-Muscone (5) has been synthesized from methyl 13-(chloroformyl)tridecanoate (6) in nine steps in an overall yield of 24%. The key steps involve an efficient transformation of the readily accessible 14-hydroxy-15-methyl-15-hexadecenoic acid (9) into the tetradecanolide 1 and a subsequent Ireland-Claisen rearrangement of its triethylsilyl enolate 2 to a 8:1-mixture of the stereoisomeric 15-membered carbocycles 4 and 10 (Scheme 4).     

An improved method for the synthesis of cellulose membrane-bound peptides with free C termini is useful for PDZ domain binding studies

SPOT synthesis permits parallel synthesis and screening of thousands of cellulose membrane-bound peptides to study protein-protein interactions in a proteomic context. Recognition of C-terminal residues is one of the most common binding features of PDZ domains. Unfortunately, most solid support-bound peptide libraries lack a free C terminus due to C-terminal fixation on the solid support. To overcome this restriction, we developed a robust methodology based on our previous strategy for generating peptides with authentic C termini. To validate this improved method, we screened a human peptide library of 6223 C termini with the syntrophin PDZ domain. Furthermore, using the same library, new peptide ligands derived from membrane proteins and receptors were found for the ERBIN PDZ domain. Finally, we identified the protein kinase breakpoint cluster region, which is known as a negative regulator of cell proliferation and oncogenic transformation, as an ERBIN ligand.