Interaction of anti-aggregation agent dimethylethylammonium propane sulfonate with acidic fibroblast growth factor

Prevention of aggregation is critical for analyzing protein structure. Non-detergent sulfobetaines (NDSBs) are known to prevent protein aggregation, but the molecular mechanisms of their anti-aggregation effect are poorly understood. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we analyzed the effects of dimethylethylammonium propane sulfonate (NDSB-195) on acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF). NDSB-195 (0.5M) increased both aggregation and denaturation temperatures of aFGF by 4 degrees C. Chemical shift perturbation analyses indicated that many affected residues were located at the junction between a beta-strand (or 3(10)-helix) and a loop, irrespective of the chemical properties of the residue. The apparent dissociation constants of the interaction ranged from 0.04 to 3M, indicating weak interactions between NDSB and protein molecules.     

Electronic absorption and emission spectra of Alq3 in solution with special attention to a delayed fluorescence

Tris(8-quinolinolato)aluminum(III) (Alq₃) shows electronic absorption bands at 378, 360 (in a 1:1 mixed solvent of methanol and ethanol (ME) at 77 K), 334, 316, 300, 263, 255.8, and 233 nm in ethanol at room temperature. According to the polarized fluorescence excitation spectrum together with MO calculations, for instance, the 360 nm band is assigned to an LL CT transition (an intramolecular charge transfer transition between two ligands), and the 378 nm band to an LM/ML CT one (an intramolecular charge transfer transition between ligand and metal). Alq₃ shows a broad fluorescence band peaking at around 478 nm in the ME matrix at 77 K. The emission spectrum measured with a phosphoroscope has two emission bands at 567 and 478 nm. The 567 nm band accompanies vibronic bands at 578 and 605 nm, being safely assigned to a phosphorescence of Alq₃. The lifetimes of the 478 and 567 nm bands are both 5.4 ms. The lifetime of the 478 nm band together with the band position and its band shape indicate that this band can be assigned to a delayed fluorescence.     

Coumarin synthesis on π-acidic surfaces

Catalysis with anion–π interactions is emerging as an important topic in supramolecular chemistry. Among the reactions explored so far on π-acidic surfaces, coumarin synthesis stands out as a cascade process with several coupled anionic transition states. Increasing π-acidity has been shown in a different context to increase transition-state stabilisation and thus catalytic activity. In this report, we explore the possible use of macrocycles to accelerate coumarin synthesis between two π-acidic surfaces. To our disappointment, we found that compared to monomeric π-acids, coumarin synthesis within divalent macrocycles is clearly slower. Hindered access to an overly confined active site within the macrocycles could possibly account for this loss in activity, but several other explanations are certainly possible. However, operational coumarin synthesis on monomeric π-acidic surfaces is shown to tolerate structural modifications. Best results are obtained with structures that aim for proximity without obstructing transition-state stabilisation on the π-acidic surface.     

Mechanosensitive membrane probes: push-pull papillons

ABSTRACT

Design, synthesis and evaluation of push-pull N,N′-diphenyl-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazines are reported. Consistent with theoretical predictions, donors and acceptors attached to the bent mechanophore are shown to shift absorption maxima to either red or blue, depending on their positioning in the chromophore. Redshifted excitation of push-pull fluorophores is reflected in redshifted emission of both bent and planar excited states. The intensity ratios of the dual emission in more and less polar solvents imply that excited-state (ES) planarization decelerates with increasing fluorophore macrodipole, presumably due to attraction between the wings of closed papillons. ES planarization of highly polarisable papillons is not observed in lipid bilayer membranes. All push-pull papillon amphiphiles excel with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) from bent ES as micelles in water and mechanosensitivity in viscous solvents. They are not solvatochromic and only weakly fluorescent (QY < 4%).     

Big,Strong, Neutral,Twisted, and Chiral π Acids

General synthetic access to expanded π‐acidic surfaces of variable size, topology, chirality, and π acidity is reported. The availability of π surfaces with these characteristics is essential to develop the functional relevance of anion–π interactions with regard to molecular recognition, translocation, and transformation. The problem is that, with expanded π surfaces, the impact of electron‐withdrawing substituents decreases and the high π acidity needed for strong anion–π interactions can be more difficult to obtain. To overcome this problem, it is herein proposed to build large surfaces from smaller fragments and connect these fragments with bridges that are composed only of single atoms. Two central surfaces for powerful anion–π interactions, namely, perfluoroarenes and naphthalenediimides (NDIs), were selected as fragments and coupled with through sulfide bridges. Their oxidation to sulfoxides and sulfones, as well as fluorine substitution in the peripheral rings, provides access to the full chemical space of relevant π acidities. According to cyclic voltammetry, LUMO levels range from ?3.96 to ?4.72 eV. With sulfoxide bridges, stereogenic centers are introduced to further enrich the intrinsic planar chirality of the expanded surfaces. The stereoisomers were separated by chiral HPLC and characterized by X‐ray crystallography. Their topologies range from chairs to π boats, and the latter are reminiscent of the cation–π boxes in operational neuronal receptors. With pentafluorophenyl acceptors, the π acidity of NDIs with two sulfoxide groups in the core reaches ?4.45 eV, whereas two sulfone moieties give a value of ?4.72 eV, which is as low as with four ethyl sulfone groups, that is, a π superacid near the limit of existence. Beyond anion–π interactions, these conceptually innovative π‐acidic surfaces are also of interest as electron transporters in conductive materials.     

Characteristics of voltage holding ratio and residual direct current voltage for polymer-sustained-alignment liquid crystal cells formed from mixed monomers containing biphenyl- and benzilketal-groups

Abstract

For improving process efficiency of polymer-sustained-alignment liquid crystal displays (PSA-LCDs), new photo-initiation monomers (PI-monomers), 2-methoxy-2-methacryloyl-oxy-ethoxy-2-phenylacetophenon (2-MMOEP) and 2,2-dimethacryloyl-oxy-ethoxy-2-phenylacetophenon (2,2-DMOEP), were developed and investigated image sticking characteristics. LC cells having PSA layers formed from a monomer 4,4′-dimethacryloyl-oxy-biphenyl (4,4′-DMABiph) and each PI-monomer were fabricated, and voltage holding ratio (VHR) and residual direct current voltage (V_rDC) were clarified as the image sticking characteristics. The VHR and the V_rDC were improved with the LC cells having the PSA layers formed from 4,4′-DMABiph and 2,2-DMOEP owing to large rate constant of polymerization. In contrast, the VHR and the V_rDC were deteriorated with the LC cells having the PSA layers formed from 4,4′-DMABiph and 2-MMOEP. The deterioration of the VHR and the V_rDC was derived from the increase in the concentration of radical and/or ion generated from 2-MMOEP. The results indicate that the number of polymerizable group in the PI-monomer is important, and plural number of polymerizable group in the PI-monomer leads to high VHR and low V_rDC.     

Novel one-pot approach to synthesis of indanones through Sb(V)-catalyzed reaction of phenylalkynes with aldehydes

Catalytic SbF5 and the use of EtOH as an additive efficiently converted a mixture of phenylalkynes and aldehydes to indanone compounds in one pot, and the reaction stereoselectively afforded the corresponding 2,3-disubstituted indanones as a single trans-isomer.     

Interactions of ibuprofen with hybrid lipid bilayers probed by complementary surface-enhanced vibrational spectroscopies

The incorporation of small molecules into lipid bilayers is a process of biological importance and clinical relevance that can change the material properties of cell membranes and cause deleterious side effects for certain drugs. Here we report the direct observation, using surface-enhanced Raman and IR spectroscopies (SERS, SEIRA), of the insertion of ibuprofen molecules into hybrid lipid bilayers. The alkanethiol-phospholipid hybrid bilayers were formed onto gold nanoshells by self-assembly, where the underlying nanoshell substrates provided the necessary enhancements for SERS and SEIRA. The spectroscopic data reveal specific interactions between ibuprofen and phospholipid moieties and indicate that the overall hydrophobicity of ibuprofen plays an important role in its intercalation in these membrane mimics.     

A novel route for the construction of Taxol ABC-ring framework: skeletal rearrangement approach to AB-ring and intramolecular aldol approach to C-ring

We report here on the construction of the ABC-ring framework of (±)-Taxol using an intramolecular aldol reaction as a key step. AB-ring compound 8 was converted to ketoaldehyde 25 as a precursor of an aldol reaction via introduction of oxygen-functionalities and a methoxycarbonyl group, which can be converted to a methyl group, in the proper positions of the B-ring. An aldol reaction of ketoaldehyde with LDA led to the formation of the desired product 27, which corresponds to the ABC-ring framework of (±)-Taxol.