Comparative molecular modelling study of the calcium channel blockers nifedipine and black mamba toxin FS2

The identification and structural determination of the criticalamino acid residues causing the calcium channel blocking effects of theangusticeps type III toxin FS₂ is described. Alignments withmore than 200 different short and long neuro-, cyto-, muscarinic and otherangusticeps-type toxins yielded 12 amino acid residues at the tips of loopsII and III which are unique to the type III toxins. The competitive bindingbehaviour between the 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative nifedipine and toxinFS₂ was used for a further delimitation of the relevant toxinbinding domain. Using the ab initio geometry optimized nifedipine X-raystructure as a template, a model based on the sequenceMet⁴⁵-Trp⁴⁶-cis-Pro⁴⁷-Tyr⁴⁸has been elaborated. This sequence shows the same hydrophobic andhydrogen bond forming properties as nifedipine. In addition, qualitativelysimilar molecular electrostatic potentials are observed for both structures,leading to the assumption that these amino acid residues of the toxin act asthe potential attachment region at the calcium channel receptor site.     

Isolation and identification of sialylcompounds from hemofiltrate

Summary Hemofiltrate of patients with end stage renal disease is a source of sialyl compounds of unusual composition which accumulate in uremia. The large volumes involved (20–30l), are concentrated and desalted by modified reverse osmosis using membranes with a nominal cut-off of 500 D. The transport of the individual solutes during this process is monitored by reversed-phase HPLC of the permeates and retentates, respectively. By a combination of size-exclusion and ion-exchange chromatography 11 sialyl compounds are isolated preparatively. All structures have been determined using one and two dimensional NMR spectroscopy, enzymatic degradation and FAB mass spectrometry.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft     

火焰原子吸收法测定竹荪中的微量元素

使用灰化法处理样品,火焰原子吸收光谱法测定了竹荪中的钾、钙、钠、镁、铁、锰、铜、锌的含量。结果显示,竹荪中含有丰富的铁、锰、铜、锌4种人体必需微量元素。加标回收率为93.2%~103.2%,该法测定快速、简单,结果满意。     

The furan approach to oxacycles. Part 3: Stereoselective synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted tetrahydropyrans

Commercially available furan 1 was converted to 2,3-trans and 2,3-cis-disubstituted tetrahydropyrans 2 and 3 using a highly efficient route to oxacycles, based on the oxidation of the furan ring with singlet oxygen. Tetrahydropyrans 2 and 3 could be easily separated by column chromatography.     

Conformational statistics of polymer chain terminally attached to wall (II)

The SAW tail chains were studied. The permitted conformational number and the mean square end-to-end distance as a function of the chain length N for such a model tail chain were obtained by computer simulations, including the exact enumeration and Monte Carlo method. These two basic quantities obeyed the relations deduced from the scaling law. The critical exponents and the lattice indexes were given by fitting the data of the computer experiments. It has been shown that there is a certain extension in the size of the SAW tail chains as well as the NRW tail chains in the direction normal to the wall. The normal component of the mean square end-to-end distance is almost twice as large as the parallel component of the short chain SAW. However, as N →∞, the effect of the wall on the chain conformation becomes a little weak because of the self-avoiding behavior for the model. That is quite different from the case of the NRW tail chain. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China     

Separation and determination of seleno amino acids using gas chromatography hyphenated with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction

A new derivatization–extraction method for preconcentration of seleno amino acids using hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction (HF‐LPME) was developed for the separation and determination of seleno amino acids in biological samples by gas chromatography–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC–ICP‐MS). Derivatization was performed with ethyl chloroformate (ECF) to improve the volatility of seleno amino acids. Parameters influencing microextraction, including extraction solvent, pH of sample solution, extraction time, stirring speed, and inorganic salt concentration have been investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the limits of detection (LODs) obtained for Se‐methyl‐selenocysteine (SeMeCys), selenomethionine (SeMet), and selenoethionine (SeEth) were 23, 15, and 11 ng Se l⁻¹, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 14.6%, 16.4%, and 19.4% for SeMeCys, SeMet, and SeEth (c = 1.0 ng ml⁻¹, n = 7), respectively, and the RSDs for SeMeCys, SeMet could be improved obviously if SeEth was utilized as the internal standard. The proposed method was applied for the determination of seleno amino acids in extracts of garlic, cabbage, and mushroom samples, and the recoveries for the spiked samples were in the range of 96.8–108% and 93.4–115% with and without the use of SeEth as internal standard. The developed method was also applied to the analysis of SeMet in a certified reference material of SELM‐1 yeast and the determined value is in good agreement with the certified value. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biosensors to detect marine toxins: Assessing seafood safety

This article describes the different types of marine toxins and their toxic effects, and reviews the bio/analytical techniques for their detection, putting special emphasis to biosensors. Important health concerns have recently appeared around shellfish (diarrheic, paralytic, amnesic, neurologic and azaspiracid) and fish (ciguatera and puffer) poisonings produced by different types of phycotoxins, making evident the urgent necessity of counting on appropriate detection technologies. With this purpose, several analysis methods (bioassays, chromatographic techniques, immunoassays and enzyme inhibition-based assays) have been developed. However, easy-to-use, fast and low-cost devices, able to deal with complicated matrices, are still required. Biosensors offer themselves as promising biotools, alternative and/or complementary to conventional analysis techniques, for fast, simple, cheap and reliable toxicity screening. Nevertheless, despite the wide range of seafood toxins and the already rooted biosensing systems, the literature on biosensors for phycotoxins is scarce. This article discusses the existing biosensor-based strategies and their advantages and limitations. Finally, the article gives a general overlook about the regulation toxin levels and monitoring programmes currently established around the world concerning seafood safety.     

尿毒症中分子毒物吸附剂的研究(Ⅰ)——戊二醛交联壳聚糖吸附剂

长期以来 ,血液净化疗法一直是临床上处理各种血液中毒的基本手段[1～ 3] .对尿毒症患者 ,目前普遍采用的治疗措施是对其进行定期的血液或腹膜透析 [1] 缓解病情 ;然而单纯血液透析疗法难以清除患者体内的中分子毒物 ,以致血液透析的患者体内 ,中分子毒物的积累会达到很高的程度 .因此 ,通过研制高效的中分子吸附剂 ,以血液灌流的方式清除中分子毒物 ,对于控制和治疗尿毒症具有重要意义 .据文献报道 ,体内蓄积的中分子毒物中肽类物质占了一定的比例[4～ 9] ,患者的许多顽固临床症状与这些毒物的体内蓄积密切相关 [1,10 ] .本课题组的研究结…     

From mushroom alcohol to liquid crystals: a useful platform molecule

The syntheses and liquid crystal properties of two novel esters derived from 4-(4-(decyloxy)phenyl)thiophene-2-carboxylic acid and either (±)-oct-1-en-3-yl 4?-hydroxybiphenyl-4-carboxylate or (S)-(+)-oct-1-en-3-yl 4?-hydroxybiphenyl-4-carboxylate are reported. Within the synthesis of the (S)-(+)-oct-1-en-3-yl 4?-hydroxybiphenyl-4-carboxylate, mushroom alcohol, a natural source of chiral oct-1-en-3-ol and a platform molecule, was employed. The phases present within these compounds have been characterised by thermal optical polarising microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry and assigned as SmA, SmC and SmC Alt for the racemic compound and; SmA, SmC* and SmC*_A for the enantiomerically pure compound. This is first reported occurrence of a liquid crystalline ester derived from mushroom alcohol, and potential platform molecule, exhibiting SmA*, SmC* and SmC*_A phases.     

Structure of the O‐Glycosylated Conopeptide CcTx from Conus consors Venom

The glycopeptide CcTx, isolated from the venom of the piscivorous cone snail Conus consors, belongs to the κA‐family of conopeptides. These toxins elicit excitotoxic responses in the prey by acting on voltage‐gated sodium channels. The structure of CcTx, a first in the κA‐family, has been determined by high‐resolution NMR spectroscopy together with the analysis of its O‐glycan at Ser7. A new type of glycopeptide O‐glycan core structure, here registered as core type 9, containing two terminal L ‐galactose units {α‐L ‐Galp‐(1→4)‐α‐D ‐GlcpNAc‐(1→6)‐[α‐L ‐Galp‐(1→2)‐β‐D ‐Galp‐(1→3)‐]α‐D ‐GalpNAc‐(1→O)}, is highlighted. A sequence comparison to other putative members of the κA‐family suggests that O‐linked glycosylation might be more common than previously thought. This observation alone underlines the requirement for more careful and in‐depth investigations into this type of post‐translational modification in conotoxins.