The use of the selective population inversion technique in the assignment of carbon-13 n.m.r. resonances in 3,6-epoxy-pentacyclo[6.2.1.02,7.04,10.05,9]undecane

Different applications of the selective population inversion technique in an n.m.r. study of 3,6-epoxypentacyclo-[6.2.1.0^2,7.0^4,10.0^5,9] undecane have been demonstrated. The intensity gain accompanying heteronuclear ¹³C—{¹H} experiments allowed the detection of fine structure due to long range C? H couplings otherwise hidden in normal proton coupled ¹³C spectra. Definite assignments of two very similar, directly bonded, C? H couplings within a methylene group have been made.     

A test system for the determining of the fate of pesticides in surface water. Protocol and comparison of the performance for parathion of ecocores and micro ecosystems from two sources

Protocols are described for constructing laboratory micro-ecosystems (MES), incubating them with radiolabelled pesticides and then using a routine test procedure to ascertain the fate of these pesticides in surface water. The performance of fresh ecocores and acclimated MES from two sources was compared. The influence of the duration of the acclimation to room temperature and a light cycle on the fate of parathion was studied. The variation between replicates of MES was less than that between ecocores. The eutrophic ecocores and MES performed similarly, the oligotrophic ecocores transformed parathion faster than the oligotrophic MES. In eutrophic systems, reduction to aminoparathion was much faster than in oligotrophic systems. The sandy oligotrophic MES needed a longer acclimation to laboratory conditions than the eutrophic MES to produce reproducible results. The results of year-to-year experiments were also more reproducible for the eutrophic MES.     

Protection by food-derived antioxidants from UV-A1-induced photodamage, measured using living skin equivalents

In a study of biomarkers of ultraviolet-A1 radiation (UV-A1)-induced skin damage, living skin equivalent cultures (LSE) were treated with the antioxidants hesperetin and quercetin-3-glucoside and irradiated with 25 or 50 J/cm2 UV-A1. Changes in the following biomarkers were measured; Interleukin 1-alpha (IL-1alpha), Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1), TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). IL-1alpha and HO-1 were analyzed by real-time PCR, Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry. TUNEL and 8-OHdG were determined by (immuno)histochemical techniques. Sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). UV-A1 induced keratinocyte and fibroblast vacuolation and nuclear pyknosis, intense TUNEL staining of fibroblasts and increased staining of cells and nuclei for 8-OHdG. Lesser or marginal increases in intensity followed staining for HO-1 and IL-1alpha. The IL-1alpha increase was confirmed by ELISA assays of the medium supernatants. Hesperetin and quercetin-3-glucoside reduced changes in H&E, 8-OHdG, TUNEL and IL-1alpha. Quercetin-3-glucoside reduced the amount of IL-1alpha in LSE media. These observations support the use of the selected biomarkers to monitor UV-A1 damage and provide evidence that dietary ingredients could reduce ultraviolet-A radiation-induced damage.     

A new crosslinker for mass spectrometric analysis of the quaternary structure of protein complexes

Mass spectrometric structural analysis of crosslinked peptides is a powerful method to elucidate the spatial arrangement of polypeptides in protein complexes. Our aim is to develop bifunctional crosslinkers that, after crosslinking protein complexes followed by proteolytic digestion, give rise to crosslinked peptides that can be readily tracked down by mass spectrometry. To this end we synthesized the crosslinker N-benzyliminodiacetoyloxysuccinimid (BID), which yields stable benzyl cation marker ions upon low-energy collision-induced dissociation (CID) tandem mass spectrometry. Sensitive detection of the marker ion upon low-energy CID is demonstrated with different BID-crosslinked peptide preparations. With BID it becomes possible to retrieve crosslinked and crosslinker-adducted peptides, without the necessity of purifying crosslinked peptides prior to identification. The basic design of this crosslinker can be varied upon, in order to meet specific crosslinking needs.     

Cyclic phosphopeptides for interference with Grb2 SH2 domain signal transduction prepared by ring-closing metathesis and phosphorylation

Cyclic phosphopeptides were prepared using ring-closing metathesis followed by phosphorylation. These cyclic phosphopeptides were designed to interact with the SH2 domain of Grb2, which is a signal transduction protein of importance as a target for antiproliferative drug development. Binding of these peptides to the Grb2 SH2 domain was evaluated by a surface plasmon resonance assay. High affinity binding to the Grb2 SH2 domain was maintained upon macrocyclization, thus indicating that this method can be used to assemble high affinity cyclic phosphopeptides that interfere with signal transduction cascades.     

Application of a magnetic immobilizedβ-glucosidase in the enzymatic saccharification of steam-exploded lignocellulosic residues

Aβ-glucosidase preparation derived fromAspergillus niger was immobilized onto a magnetic support and used in the enzymatic saccharification of a lignocellulosic material. The enzyme was immobilized onto polyethyleneimine-glutaraldehyde activated magnetite (PAM) and also onto titanium (IV) oxide (TiO₂)-coated magnetite (TAM). Although > 80% of the protein applied was immobilized, only 15–27% of the enzyme activity was recovered after immobilization. Theβ-glucosidase immobilized onto TiCO₂-coated magnetite suffered from enzyme being removed from the matrix under hydrolysis-use conditions, whereas the PAM enzyme remained attached to the matrix. The physicochemical properties of the immobilizedβ-glucosidase preparations are described. Both immobilizedβ-glucosidase preparations were capable of completely hydrolyzing cellobiose. Recycling of the immobilized enzymes (IME) resulted in reduced rates of hydrolysis with each recycling of the enzyme, although cellobiose was still capable of being completely hydrolyzed. The reduced hydrolysis performance was attributable to physical losses of IME during recovery and, in the case of TAM, enzyme loss from the matrix. Supplementing cellulase digests of steam-explosion pretreatedEucalyptus regnons pulps with immobilizedβ-glucosidase resulted in enhanced hydrolysis. Cellulose-to-glucose yields of 80% of theoretical predictions resulted within 24 h. The magnetically immobilizedβ-glucosidase could easily be recovered from the lignocellulose solids suspension in a stirred batch reactor by applying a magnetic field. The recycled immobilized enzyme continued to convert cellobiose into glucose in 80% yields over a 24-h period. This is the first report of a magnetically immobilizedβ-glucosidase preparation used in the enzymatic saccharification of a lignocellulosic material.     

1-methyl-(D3)-trishomocubane

The acid catalysed rearrangement of 8-methyl-pentacyclo(5.4.0.0^2,6.0^3,10.0^5,9)undecan-8-endo-o1 ($\text{8}$) to 3-methyl-(D₃)-trishomocuban-4-o1 ($\text{9}$) provided the key step to the synthesis of the title compound ($\text{11}$).