Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance studies of coumarin and related compounds

Fourier-transform ¹³C NMR spectra of nine coumarinoid compounds of medicinal interest are reported. All of the carbon resonances are assigned with the aid of various spectral techniques and stable isotopic labeling. The substituent effects on the chemical shifts in several systems are also discussed.     

Reversible energy transfer

Analysis of the transient and steady-state kinetics of reversible energy transfer shows that while the interpretation of lifetime measurements is difficult unless the donor and acceptor lifetimes are appreciably different, quantum yield measurements are relatively easy to interpret.

---

Zusammenfassung Die Analyse der Kinetik der Übergangszustände und der stationären Zustände der reversiblen Energieübertragung zeigt, daß im Gegensatz zu einer schwierigen Interpretation der Messungen der Lebensdauer — es sei denn die Lebensdauer von Donor und Acceptor sind wesentlich voneinander verschieden — die Messungen der Quantumausbeute verhältnismäßig einfach zu interpretieren sind.

---

Résumé L'analyse de la cinétique de l'état transitoire et de l'état stationnaire du transfert réversible d'énergie montre que, si l'interprétation des mesures de durée de vie est difficile, à moins queles durées de vie du donneur et de l'accepteur soient très différentes, il est par contre relativement facile d'interpréter les mesures de rendement quantique.

---

---

Dedicated to the memory of Professor K. H. Hansen.     

Mimicry of host-defense peptides by unnatural oligomers: antimicrobial beta-peptides

We have designed beta-amino acid oligomers that are helical, cationic, and amphiphilic with the intention of mimicking the biological activity of amphiphilic, cationic alpha-helical antimicrobial peptides found in nature (e.g., magainins). We have previously identified a 17-residue beta-peptide (called beta-17) with antibiotic activity similar to that of a magainin derivative against four bacterial species, including two clinical isolates that are resistant to common antibiotics. This beta-peptide displays very low hemolytic activity against human red blood cells, which indicates selectivity for bacterial cells over mammalian cells. Here we examine some of the factors important for activity in this class of beta-peptides. An amphiphilic helix is necessary, because a nonamphiphilic isomer proved to be inactive. The ratio of cationic to hydrophobic residues is also important. Active beta-peptides induce the leakage of beta-galactosidase from treated Bacillus subtilis cells, as do alpha-helical antibiotic peptides, and this similarity suggests that the beta-peptide mode of action involves disruption of microbial membranes. This class of beta-peptides is not degraded by proteases, which bodes well for biological applications.     

Lysine peroxycarbamates: free radical-promoted peptide cleavage

Strategies are reported that combine in one step a predictable chemical-based protein digestion with mass spectrometry. Lysine residue amino groups in peptides and proteins are modified by reaction with a peroxycarbonate derived from p-nitrophenol, and tert-butyl hydroperoxide. The peroxycarbonate reacts with lysine residues in peptides and proteins, and the resulting lysine peroxycarbamates undergo homolytic fragmentation under conditions of low-energy collision-induced dissociation (CID). Observed fragmentation of the peptides involves apparent free radical processes including Hofmann-L?ffler-type rearrangements that lead to peptide chain fragmentation. Strategies for directed cleavage of peptides by free radical promoted processes are feasible, and such strategies may well simplify schemes for protein analysis.     

Assessment of supporting electrolyte contributions in electrochemically modulated liquid chromatography

This paper reports the results of an investigation on the role of the supporting electrolyte in separations using electrochemically modulated liquid chromatography (EMLC) with a porous graphitic carbon stationary phase. With respect to the identity of the supporting electrolyte, the elution strength of the electrolyte anion increased as F- < OH- < BF4- < ClO4- < PF6- for injections of negatively charged aromatic molecules, whereas a 10-fold increase in electrolyte concentration induced a 60% change in retention for the same solutes. Furthermore, both the concentration and composition of the supporting electrolyte affected retention in a manner that varied with the charge of the analyte and applied potential. This behavior is explained using Gouy-Chapman diffuse double layer theory, coupled with comparisons of this theory with closely related models for ion-pair chromatography. Insights into the retention mechanism reveal that an ion-exchange mechanism controls the retention of negatively charged solutes at applied potentials removed from the potential of zero charge (PZC). At potentials close to the PZC, the electrostatic model is less effective with the predominant retention mechanism likely involving hydrophobic interactions with the carbonaceous stationary phase. The combined effects of these findings are demonstrated by using a temporal gradient in supporting electrolyte concentration to optimize an EMLC separation.