Synthesis,crystal structures and antimicrobial activity of azido and isocyanato Zn(II) complexes with the condensation product of 2-quinolinecarboxaldehyde and Girard’s T reagent

Two Zn(II) complexes with the condensation product of 2-quinolinecarboxaldehyde and trimethylammonium acetohydrazide chloride (Girard’s T reagent) (HLCl) and monodentate pseudohalides (azide and cyanate) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In both complexes, the coordination surroundings of the Zn(II) ions consist of a deprotonated hydrazone ligand coordinated through an NNO set of donor atoms and two monodentate pseudohalides (N₃^– or NCO^–) at the remaining coordination sites. The Zn(II) complexes showed low to moderate activity against laboratory control strains of pathogenic bacteria and fungi.     

The reactivity of 2,5-diaminoimidazolone base modification towards aliphatic primary amino derivatives: nucleophilic substitution at C5 as a potential source of abasic sites in oxidatively damaged DNA

N5-deoxyribosyl derivatives of 2,5-diaminoimidazolone formed by oxidative damage to the guanine bases in 2-deoxyguanosine and highly polymerized DNA readily undergo nucleophilic substitution at C5 in reaction with primary amines in neutral aqueous solutions at 37–70 °C, as it was found in a kinetic study using reverse-phase HPLC. The reaction of 2-amino-5-[(2′-deoxy-β-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)amino]-4H-imidazol-4-one (dIz) with excess of ethanolamine, alanine and γ-aminobutyric acid (0.2–1 M) is a pseudo-first-order process that proceeds with 45–80 % yields depending on the nature of the amine, its concentration, and the reaction temperature. In the case of ethanolamine, the corresponding bimolecular rate constant has a pre-exponential factor and activation energy of 1.1 × 10⁵ s^?1 and 47 kJ mol^?1, respectively. The reaction is highly competitive with the previously described hydrolysis of dIz into 2,2-diamino-4-[(2-deoxy-β-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)amino]-5(2H)-oxazolone under biologically relevant conditions. A similar reaction with the same lesion in polymeric DNA results in the release of a low-molecular-weight analog of dIz, presumably producing an abasic site as the second reaction product. Kinetic characteristics of this process make it a potentially important source of abasic sites in oxidatively damaged DNA, formed through the reaction of 2,5-diaminoimidazolone lesions with naturally abundant DNA-affinic amines and proteins. The release of low-molecular-weight analogs of dIz can potentially be employed for quantification of imidazolone lesions in oxidized DNA. The half-life of imidazolone lesions in double-stranded DNA evaluated using this approach was found to be 154 min at 37 °C.     

Parenchyma cell wall structure in twining stem of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dioscorea balcanica</Emphasis>

Anatomical adaptation of liana plants includes structural changes in cell walls of different tissues: fibers, vessel elements and tracheids. However, the contribution of parenchyma cells to stem twining in liana plants is mostly unknown. The aim of this investigation is to determine changes in stem parenchyma cell walls that are correlated with the twinning process in liana plants. Parenchyma cell wall structure was studied on the stem cross sections of straight and twisted internodes of monocotyledonous liana Dioscorea balcanica, by different microscopy techniques: light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence detected linear dichroism microscopy and Fourier transform infrared microspectrometry. In addition, chemical analysis of the entire stem internodes was performed using photometric and chromatographic methods. Parenchyma cell walls of twisted D. balcanica internodes are characterized by: lower amounts of cellulose (obtained by FTIR microspectrometry) with different cellulose microfibril orientation (shown by Scanning electron microscopy), but no changes in “cellulose fibril order” (obtained by Differential polarization laser scanning microscopy); lower amounts of xyloglucan, higher amounts of xylan, higher amounts of lignin with modified organization—less condensed lignin (obtained by FTIR microspectrometry). At the same time, chemical analysis of the entire internodes did not show significant differences in lignin content and cell wall bound phenols related to stem twining, except for the presence of diferulate cross-links exclusively in twisted internodes. Our results indicate that adaptations to mechanical strain in D. balcanica stems involve modifications in parenchyma cell wall structure and chemistry, which provide decreased stiffness, higher strength and increased elasticity of twisted internodes.     

Global solutions to the shallow water system with a method of an additional argument

The classical system of shallow water (Saint–Venant) equations describes long surface waves in an inviscid incompressible fluid of a variable depth. Although shock waves are expected in this quasi-linear hyperbolic system for a wide class of initial data, we find a sufficient condition on the initial data that guarantee existence of a global classical solution continued from a local solution. The sufficient conditions can be easily satisfied for the fluid flow propagating in one direction with two characteristic velocities of the same sign and two monotonically increasing Riemann invariants. We prove that these properties persist in the time evolution of the classical solutions to the shallow water equations and provide no shock wave singularities formed in a finite time over a half-line or an infinite line. On a technical side, we develop a novel method of an additional argument, which allows to obtain local and global solutions to the quasi-linear hyperbolic systems in physical rather than characteristic variables.     

Sorption Catalytic Determination of Copper(II) and L-α-alanine on Mg-, Al-Layered Double Hydroxides

Mg-, Al and Mg-, Cu-, Al-layered double hydroxides well-known synthetic hydrotalcite-like sorbents, were used for the first time as carriers for indicators in the sorption catalytic determination of copper(II) and L-α-alanine. Mg-, Al and Mg-, Cu-, Al-layered double hydroxides were synthesized by coprecipitation and characterized using infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The adsorption of 0.50?mg?L^?1 copper(II) solution by Mg-, Al-layered double hydroxides followed a pseudo-second-order model with an equilibrium sorption capacity of 24.2?×?10^?3?mg?g^?1 (3.8?×?10^?4?mmol g^?1) and a reaction rate constant of 4.2?g mg^?1?min^?1. Mg-, Al-layered double hydroxide tablets were prepared and used for sorption concentration and subsequent sensitive and selective sorption catalytic determination of 5.5?×?10^?3 to 1.0?mg?L^?1 copper(II) at the sorbent phase. The method was used for the analysis of natural water. A method was developed for the determination of α-alanine in Mg-, Cu-, Al-layered double hydroxide tablets with a limit of detection of 4.0?×?10^?3 mol?L^?1. In addition, thin layers of Mg-, Cu-, Al-layered double hydroxide were used to separate α-alanine and determine α-amino acids by thin-layer chromatography.     

Tyr72 and Tyr80 are Involved in the Formation of an Active Site of a Luciferase of Copepod Metridia longa

Luciferase of copepod Metridia longa (MLuc) is a naturally secreted enzyme catalyzing the oxidative decarboxylation of coelenterazine with the emission of light. To date, three nonallelic isoforms of different lengths (17–24 kDa) for M. longa luciferase have been cloned. All the isoforms are single‐chain proteins consisting of a 17‐residue signal peptide for secretion, variable N‐terminal part and conservative C‐terminus responsible for luciferase activity. In contrast to other bioluminescent proteins containing a lot of aromatic residues which are frequently involved in light emission reaction, the C‐terminal part of MLuc contains only four Phe, two Tyr, one Trp and two His residues. To figure out whether Tyr residues influence bioluminescence, we constructed the mutants with substitution of Tyr to Phe (Y72F and Y80F). Tyrosine substitutions do not eliminate the ability of luciferase to bioluminescence albeit significantly reduce relative specific activity and change bioluminescence kinetics. In addition, the Tyr replacements have no effect on bioluminescence spectrum, thereby indicating that tyrosines are not involved in the emitter formation. However, as it was found that the intrinsic fluorescence caused by Tyr residues is quenched by a reaction substrate, coelenterazine, in concentration‐dependent manner, we infer that both tyrosine residues are located in the luciferase substrate‐binding cavity.     

Synthesis,characterization and antimicrobial activity of β-aminovinylphosphonium salts derived from aromatic amino acids

This study presents the synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial activity evaluation of β-aminovinyl-phosphonium salts derived from aromatic amino acids. The compounds were prepared in the reaction of (formylmethyl)triphenylphosphonium chloride with various aromatic amino acids and their structures were determined by elemental analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy. All synthesized compounds were tested for their antibacterial and antifungal activity.     

Molecular tectonics: on the formation of 1-D silver coordination networks by thiacalixarenes bearing nitrile groups

Two new p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene derivatives 2 and 3 decorated at the lower rim with four nitrile groups have been prepared and structurally characterised in the crystalline phase. The two ligands, differing by the length of the spacer between the calix moiety and the nitrile group, adopt the 1,3-alternate conformation in the solid state. The ligand 3 bearing four (CH(2))(3)CN fragments behaves as a tecton in the presence of silver salts (AgX, X = BF(4), PF(6) or SbF(6)) and leads to the formation of analogous 1-D linear coordination networks. The tecton 3 acts as a bischelate unit and bridges consecutive silver cations adopting a tetrahedral coordination geometry. Anions and solvent molecules occupy the free space between networks and exhibit no specific interactions with the cationic architecture.     

Amino acid functionalization of double-wall carbon nanotubes studied by Raman spectroscopy

Double-wall carbon nanotubes (DWNT) have been functionalized with lysine after a strong oxidation with MnO4- in acid solution which, as suggested by the Raman spectra, attacked the external nanotube of the DWNT.     

C<Subscript>6</Subscript> dispersion coefficients from reduced dipole pseudospectra

A recently proposed interpolation tech- nique for FDPs is extended to cover static pseudospectra of monomers as well. Reduced 4-term dipole pseudospectra are obtained for the ground states of H, He, , LiH, BeH₂, BH, giving dispersion constants from which highly accurate C₆ dispersion coefficients for all homo- and hetero-dimers are obtained by use of the generalized London formula. Contribution to the Fernando Bernardi Memorial Issue.