Duality and Self-Duality (Energy Reflection Symmetry) of Quasi-Exactly Solvable Periodic Potentials

A class of spectral problems with a hidden Lie-algebraic structure is considered. We define a duality transformation which maps the spectrum of one quasi-exactly solvable (QES) periodic potential to that of another QES periodic potential. The self-dual point of this transformation corresponds to the energy-reflection symmetry found previously for certain QES systems. The duality transformation interchanges bands at the bottom (top) of the spectrum of one potential with gaps at the top (bottom) of the spectrum of the other, dual, potential. Thus, the duality transformation provides an exact mapping between the weak coupling (perturbative) and semiclassical (nonperturbative) sectors.     

Functionalization of monofluoroallene and the synthesis of aryl-substituted conjugated fluorodienes

[reaction: see text] 4-Fluoroallenol 3a, prepared from 1, cyclized easily to 4 but preserved its fluoroallenyl integrity under oxidation and S(N)2 displacement to yield aldehyde, amine, mesylate, and halide 6. Allylic isomerization yielded 2-halo-1-fluoro-1,3-butadiene 7, which underwent a Suzuki coupling to give aryl-substituted conjugated diene 8.     

Substituted 1,8-naphthyridin-2(1H)-ones are superior to thymine in the recognition of adenine in duplex as well as triplex structures

The synthesis and evaluation of a series of novel nucleobases based on substituted 1,8-naphthyridin-2(1H)-ones are reported. The nucleobases were designed to meet the requirements for incorporation into peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and were evaluated as part of PNA duplex and triplex nucleic acid recognition systems. Of the various nucleobases tested, only the 7-chloro-1,8-naphthyridin-2(1H)-one (7-Cl-bT) nucleobase led to consistently increased affinity in all recognition systems, duplex (Watson-Crick) as well as triplex (Hoogsteen). For multiply modified systems, the increase in thermal stability per modification was dependent on the sequence context, ranging from 2.0 degrees C (in separate positions) to 3.5 degrees C (in adjacent positions) in PNA-DNA duplexes and from 1.2 degrees C (in separate positions) to 3.2 degrees C (in adjacent positions) in PNA-RNA duplexes. Singly mismatched oligonucleotide targets were employed to demonstrate uncompromised sequence discrimination. When part of multiply modified triplex (Hoogsteen) recognition systems, the 7-Cl-bT unit gave rise to increases in the thermal stability ranging from 2.7 to 3.5 degrees C when incorporated into separated and adjacent positions, respectively. Our results furthermore indicate that the duplex stabilization is predominantly enthalpic and therefore most likely not a consequence of single-strand preorganization. Finally, and most surprisingly, we find no direct correlation between the end-stacking efficiency of this type of nucleobase and its helix stabilization when involved in Watson-Crick base pairing within a helix.     

Bending of DNA by asymmetric charge neutralization: all-atom energy simulations

DNA dodecamers of the alternating d(CG).d(CG) sequence with six phosphate groups either charge-neutralized or substituted by neutral methylphosphonates across the major or minor groove have been subjected to energy minimization to determine the conformational effect of the asymmetric elimination of phosphate charge. We report bending angles, directions of bending, and detailed structural characteristics such as groove widths and local base-pair parameters. Our principal results are that charge neutralization on one face of the DNA induces significant bending toward the neutralized face, in agreement with theoretical predictions on a simplified model and experimental data on a similar base-pair sequence, and that the DNA conformation averaged over all stereospecific methylphosphonate substitutions is nearly the same as the conformation produced by charge neutralization of the phosphates. Individual isomers, however, cover a wide range of structures, with the magnitude and direction of overall bending sensitive to the precise stereochemical pattern of neutralization. Our simulation does not explicitly contain counterions, and the results therefore suggest that counterions can influence DNA structure by neutralizing the phosphate charge. These data provide new hints into the molecular mechanisms which underlie the deformations of DNA structure induced by the binding of positively charged proteins and other tightly associated cationic species.     

Regiospecific synthesis of bicyclo- and heterobicyclo-gem-difluorocyclobutenes using functionalized fluoroallenes and a novel Mo-catalyzed intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction

The first synthesis of functionalized gem-difluoroallenes 4 served as platform for an unprecedented molybdenum-catalyzed intramolecular allene-alkyne [2 + 2]-cycloaddition that produced 6, a hitherto unknown class of bicyclo- and heterobicyclo-CF2-containing cyclobutenes.     

Novel rearrangements and formation of 2,5-dihydro-1,2,5-oxoniastannaboratolesvia methanolysis of zwitterionic η2-(alkyn-1-yl-borate)alkenyltin compounds

Organo-substituted 2,5-dihydro-1,2,5-oxoniastannaboratoles3 were prepared by methanolysis of zwitterionic ²-(alkyn-l-ylborate)alkenyltin compounds1. Analogously, the bis[²-(alkyn-l-yl-borate)alkenyltin derivative2 reacts with an excess of methanol to give a dimeric MeO-bridged 2,5-dihydro-1,2,5-oxoniastannaboratole (10a)₂. Various intermediates could be identified by NMR spectroscopy, and the molecular structure of(10a) ₂ was determined by X-ray analysis. The structures of several products of the methanolysis indicate that protolysis of an Sn-C=bond occurs first, followed by an MeO/alkenyl exchange reaction.Dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of A. N. Nesmeyanov's birth.Laboratorium für Anorganische Chemie, Universität Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Universität-GH Essen, Universitätsstr. 5–7, D-45117 Essen, Germany. Published in Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 9, pp. 1185–1196, September, 1999.     

Ab initio calculations on peptide-derived oxazoles and thiazoles: Improved molecular mechanics parameters for the AMBER* force field

Ab initio calculations at the RHF/6-31G* and MP2/6- 31G*//RHF/6-31G* levels of theory are performed for 2-methyl-4-carboxamido-oxazoles and -thiazoles, including rotational profiles for the ring-carboxamide bond, which showed the expected conjugation and hydrogen bonding effects. On the basis of these data, newly optimised stretch, bend and torsional parameters for the AMBER* force field are derived, along with CHELPG-fitted partial atomic charges.     

EFFECTS OF FLUENCE FRACTIONATION ON UV-INDUCED MALIGNANT TRANSFORMATION AND CELL KILLING IN NON-CYCLING PLATEAU PHASE MOUSE CELLS

Plateau phase C3H 10T 1/2 mouse cells were used to measure the response to split fluence UV light irradiation in the absence of any cell cycle effects. It was found that fluence fractionation with up to 24 h between the fluences resulted in no survival enhancement. The frequency of malignant transformation was potentiated 2.5-fold when the time interval between the fluences was greater than 4h. This potentiation of transformation was attributed to plateau phase holding rather than to fluence fractionation per se.     

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