RNA Methylation m6A: A New Code and Drug Target?

The m⁶A‐RNA modification is a dynamic and reversible process, which has emerged as a new RNA code for the regulation of gene expression. The functional network of methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers), and binding proteins (readers) modulate the level of m⁶A modification. Dysfunction of RNA methylation has been associated with various fundamental biological processes and human diseases. Herein, we briefly introduce an understanding‐enabled manipulation on m⁶A‐RNA modification with an emphasis on the use of small‐molecule intervention.      

Advances of Chromatography in Analysis of Complex Samples

The separation and identification of complex samples is an urgent task that analytical chemistry has to face. Chromatography, as an important analysis technique, has been widely applied to many fields, such as life science, environment, medicine, food and petrochemical engineering.Recently, with the progress of science and tech-     

An investigation of the aggregation and water-air interfacial behaviour of a cationic tentacle molecule

The aggregation and air-water interface properties of a three-legged tentacle molecule tris (11-pyridinium undec-1-yl)benzene-1, 3, 5-tricarboxylate tribromide have been investigated by measurement of the molar conductance, , and equilibrium surface tensin,, over a wide range of bulk concentration (8×10^–6 – 0.3 M). In contrast to the single chain analogue, dodecyl pyridinium bromide, DDPB, the tentacle species shows no evidence for a conventional micellar transition in solutions up to 100 fold more concentrated than the critical micelle concentration of DDPB, though aggregation of small numbers of molecules cannot be excluded. The conductance behaviour suggests the occurrence of ion-pair (or higher) equilibria, which are likely to complicate the interpretation of the data. Also, in contrast to a previous tentacle molecule described in the literature, the present species is significantly surface active, and in the high concentration limit reduces to <30 mNm^–1, significantly lower than the values obtained for simple ionic amphiphiles. In this region the tentacle species seems to stand like a tripod at the water-air interface with both its hydrocarbon legs and its aromatic body lifted clear of the water surface. At much lower concentrations two small plateau regions in are apparent ( 60 and 52 mNm^–1). Here, the tentacle molecule occupies a much larger surface area, and seems to adopt a crab-like crouch with its aromatic body and polar ester substituents lowered into the water surface.     

Analytical assays based on detecting conformational changes of single molecules.

One common strategy for the detection of biomolecules is labeling either the target itself or an antibody that binds to it. Herein, a different approach, based on detecting the conformational change of a probe molecule induced by binding of the target is discussed. That is, what is being detected is not the presence of the target or the probe, but the conformational change of the probe. Recently, a single-molecule sensor has been developed that exploits this mechanism to detect hybridization of a single DNA oligomer to a DNA probe, as well as specific binding of a single protein to a DNA probe. Biomolecular recognition often involves large conformational changes of the molecules involved, and therefore this strategy may be applicable to other assays.     

Determining PPARγ-ligand binding affinity using fluorescent assay with cis-parinaric acid as a probe

Upon the study of small-molecules binding to proteins, the traditional methods for calculating dissociation constants (Kd and Ki) have shortcomings in dealing with the single binding site models. In this paper, two equations have been derived to solve this problem. These two equations are independent of the total concentration or initial degree of saturation of receptor and the activity of the competitive molecule. Through nonlinear fitting against these two equations, Kd value of a probe can be obtained by binding assay, and Ki value of a ligand can be obtained by competitive assay. Moreover, only the total concentrations of receptor([R]t), ligand([L]t) and probe([P]t) are required for the data fitting. In this work, Ki values of some typical ligands of PPARγ were successfully determined by use of our equations, among which the Ki value of PPARγ-LY171883 was reported for the first time.     

新型酰腙类荧光探针的合成及其对Al(Ⅲ)的传感性质

合成了两个酰腙类荧光探针1和2,在DMSO-H_2O(7∶3,体积比)体系中,两者分别在478 nm和460 nm处对Al~(3+)具有较好的荧光选择识别作用。Job's法、核磁滴定、质谱分析表明,探针1和2与Al~(3+)的配位比均为1∶2,且对Al~(3+)的检出限分别为9.58×10~(-8) mol/L和6.52×10~(-8) mol/L。同时提出了探针1和2对Al~(3+)的荧光传感机理。实际应用研究表明,探针1和2可用于河水和自来水中一定浓度范围内Al~(3+)的检测。     

Synthesis,Structure and Luminescence of a Novel 2D Cadmium Coordination Polymer with a Ligand Generated in situ

The hydrothermal reaction of 1,2-dicyanobenzene with NaN3 in the presence of Cd(NO3)2 affords a novel 2D cadmium tetrazolyl-benzoate,{Cd(tzbz)(H2O)}n (H2tzbz is 2-(5-tetrazolyl)-benzoate). The tzbz ligand is generated in situ through the 2+3 Sharpless cycloaddition reaction and hydrolyzation. Its crystal structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. The crystal crystallizes in the orthorhombic system,space group Pbca with a=9.6659(19),b=7.6366(15),c=25.964(5) ,V=1916.5(7) 3,Z=8,Mr=318.57,Dc= 2.208 g/cm3,F(000)=1232 and μ=2.276 mm-1. The Cd(Ⅱ) atom is coordinated by four tzbz ligands and one water molecule to form a severely distorted pentangle bipyramid. While each tzbz ligand connects to four Cd(Ⅱ) atoms in a μ4-η1,η2,η1,η1,η1 coordination mode to construct a 2D architecture of the title complex. Additionally,the title complex exhibits strong fluorescence at room temperature in the solid state.     

Theoretical study on the molecule C30H20: five carbon–carbon single bonds linking a dodecahedrane cage and a pentaprismane cage

Using geometry optimization and DFT method at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory for C₃₀H₂₀, an equilibrium geometry is identified that has the form of polyhedral hydrocarbon with five carbon–carbon single bonds linking a dodecahedrane cage and a pentaprismane cage. Thus, this molecule is a tri-cage molecule with two pentaprismane cages and one dodecahedrane cage. Vibrational frequencies and the infrared spectrum are computed at the same level of theory. The heat of formation for C₃₀H₂₀ has been estimated in this paper. The heat of formation of C₃₀H₂₀ as well as the vibrational analysis indicates that this molecule enjoys sufficient stability to allow for its experimental preparation.     

Effect of DNA and bivalent metal ions on the interaction of thermostable DNA polymerase <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tte</Emphasis> with dNTPs

The interaction of DNA polymerase Tte from Thermus thermophilus B35 with dUTP analog containing a fluorescein residue bound to C(5) of the base (Flu-dUTP) was studied by fluorescence titration. The dissociation constants of the enzyme—substrate complexes in the absence and in the presence of a DNA duplex containing an extended template and bivalent metal ions and the kinetic parameters of polymerization by DNA polymerase Tte in the presence of Flu-dUTP were determined. __________ Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1268–1272, May, 2005.     

Siderophore production by a marine Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its antagonistic action against phytopathogenic fungi

A marine isolate of fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. having the ability to produce the pyoverdine type of siderophores under low iron stress (up to 10 μM iron in the succinate medium) was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa by using BIOLOG Breathprint and siderotyping. Pyoverdine production was optimum at 0.2% (w/v) succinate, pH 6.0, in an iron-deficient medium. Studies carried out in vitro revealed that purified siderophores and Pseudomonas culture have good antifungal activity against the plant deleterious fungi, namely, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus oryzae, Fusarium oxysporum, and Sclerotium rolfsii. Siderophore-based maximum inhibition was observed against A. niger. These in vitro antagonistic actions of marine Pseudomonas against phytopathogens suggest the potential of the organism to serve as a biocontrol agent.