The de novo design of median molecules within a property range of interest

Summary In this paper an application is presented of the median molecule workflow to the de novo design of novel molecular entities with a property profile of interest. Median molecules are structures that are optimised to be similar to a set of existing molecules of interest as an approach for lead exploration and hopping. An overview of this workflow is provided together with an example of an instance using the similarity to camphor and menthol as objectives. The methodology of the experiments is defined and the workflow is applied to designing novel molecules for two physical property datasets: mean molecular polarisability and aqueous solubility. This paper concludes with a discussion of the characteristics of this method.     

Zum Mechanismus massenspektrometrischer Fragmentierungsreaktionen.—I Methoxygruppenwanderungen in den Massenspektren der Methyläther von linearen und verzweigten aliphatischen Polyalkoholen

The formation of 1,1-dimethoxy-alkyl rearrangement ions in the mass spectra of methyl ethers of linear diols, 1,2,3-triols and of derivatives of pentaglycerol and pentaerythritol has been investigated by deuterium labelling and mass measurements. Methoxy group migrations do not occur, or at least only to a small amount, in the mass spectra of the diol-dimethyl ethers. The mass spectra of methyl ethers of 1,2,3-triols exhibit characteristic peaks of the rearrangement ions +CH(OCH₃)₂ and +CR(OCH₃)₂. These ions arise by a 1,3-migration of a methoxy group, probably during a one step degradation of the molecular ion to give a molecule methyl alkenyl ether and a H-atom or alkyl radical as neutral fragments. Large peaks of the rearrangement ion +CH(OCH₃)₂ are observed in the mass spectra of compounds of the following type: A radical ion, formed by loss of HY from the molecular ion, rearranges by methoxy group migration in the mass spectra of these substances. Rearrangement by migration of hydroxy and acetoxy groups are also observed, but no migration of a Cl-atom.     

Die Phase La2U2N5

In the system U–La–N a new phase of composition La₂U₂N₅ was observed. The differaction pattern of this phase can be indexed with a tetragonal unit cell:a=8.43 Å,c=8.50 Å andc/a=1.008. The pseudocubic sub-cell withaca/2 is closely related to the CsCl-type.

Auszug aus der von der Technisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakuktät der TU Wien approbierten Diplomarbait des Herrn Dipl.-Ing.J. Waldhart.     

PHOTOREGULATION OF α-CHYMOTRYPSIN ACTIVITY IN ORGANIC MEDIA: EFFECTS OF BIOIMPRINTING

Abstract α-Chymotrypsin exhibits photoswitchable activities in an organic solvent after covalent modification of the protein backbone with thiophenefulgide active ester (2). The thiophenefulgide-modified α-chymotrypsin exhibits reversible photoisomerizable properties between states (3)-E and (3)-C. The modified α-chymotrypsin, where nine lysine residues are substituted by thiophenefulgide units, retains 60% of the activity of the native enzyme. The activities of thiophenefulgide-modified α-chymotrypsin toward esterification of N -acetyl-L-phenylalanine (4) by ethanol in cyclohexane are controlled by the configuration of the attached photoisomerizable component and by prior bioimprinting of the protein backbone with the reaction substrate (4). The esterification of (4) in cyclohexane using bioimprinted (3)-C is two-fold faster than in the presence of (3)-E. In the presence of a nonbioimprinted enzyme, esterification of (4) by (3)-C is five-fold faster than with (3)-E. The activity of bioimprinted (3)-E toward esterification of (4) is 4.5-fold higher than that of nonbioimprinted (3)-E. Switchable cyclic esterification of (4) is accomplished by sequential photoisomerization of the thiophenefulgide-modified α-chymotrypsin between states (3)-C and (3)-E.     

Zur Thermochemie der Zinnhalogenide

The enthalpy change of the reaction at 298 K between Br₂ (l) and Sn(c) in CS₂ as solvent giving SnBr₄ (s) has been determined by calorimetry to be (?374, 2±1.4) kJ·mol^?1, [(?89.45±0.33) kcal·mol^?1]. By the same method the heat of solution of SnBr₄ (c) in CS₂ has been found to be (11.9±0.3) kJ·mol^?1, [(2.84±0.08) kcal·mol^?1]. Combining these results, a value of (?386.1±1.5) kJ·mol^?1, [(?92.3±0.4) kcal·mol^?1] is derived for the standard heat of formation of SnBr₄ (c). Substituting this figure in the thermochemical cycle hitherto used for calculating the heat of formation of SnBr₄ (c) gives ?124.3 kcal·mol^?1 for the standard heat of formation of SnCl₄ (l), which is in reasonable agreement with a recent determination of this quantity⁸.     

Hierarchical dynamics in allostery following ATP hydrolysis monitored by single molecule FRET measurements and MD simulations

We report on a study that combines advanced fluorescence methods with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to cover timescales from nanoseconds to milliseconds for a large protein. This allows us to delineate how ATP hydrolysis in a protein causes allosteric changes at a distant protein binding site, using the chaperone Hsp90 as test system. The allosteric process occurs via hierarchical dynamics involving timescales from nano- to milliseconds and length scales from Ångstroms to several nanometers. We find that hydrolysis of one ATP is coupled to a conformational change of Arg380, which in turn passes structural information via the large M-domain α-helix to the whole protein. The resulting structural asymmetry in Hsp90 leads to the collapse of a central folding substrate binding site, causing the formation of a novel collapsed state (closed state B) that we characterise structurally. We presume that similar hierarchical mechanisms are fundamental for information transfer induced by ATP hydrolysis through many other proteins.

We report on a study that combines advanced fluorescence methods with molecular dynamics simulations to cover timescales from nanoseconds to milliseconds for a large protein, the chaperone Hsp90.     

Chiral Compounds Synthesized by Biocatalytic Reductions [New Synthetic Methods (51)]

It has been known for many decades that chiral compounds can be obtained by stereospecific biocatalytic reduction. Further significant methodological developments in this field have, however, only been made during the past ten years; they include the application of previously unused microorganisms and electron donors, the discovery of additional substrates for the known reductases, the development of methods for regenerating reduced pyridine nucleotides, and the discovery of new reductases which were sought for specific preparative purposes. Many chiral compounds can now be synthesized by microbial hydrogenation using H₂ and hydrogenase-containing microorganisms as well as by electromicrobial or electroenzymatic reduction. In the two latter methods, anaerobic or aerobic organisms are supplied with electrons from electrochemically reduced, artificial mediators, e.g., methyl viologen. Reductases that do not require pyridine nucleotides and can accept electrons directly from reduced viologens are especially useful. Two examples of this type of enzyme are described which are of preparative interest. Many cells contain methyl viologen-dependent NAD(P) reductases, a large number of which have still not been characterized. A productivity number is proposed which allows different methods of bioconversion with microorganisms to be compared. The productivity numbers of compounds synthesized by the methods described in this review are often 10- to 100-fold higher than those of substances obtained by conventional techniques.