Sphericities of Double Cosets,Double Coset Representations,and Fujita’s Proligand Method for Combinatorial Enumeration of Stereoisomers

The concepts of double coset representations and sphericities of double cosets are proposed to characterize stereoisomerism, where double cosets are classified into three types, i.e., homospheric double cosets, enantiospheric double cosets, or hemispheric double cosets. They determine modes of substitutions (i.e., chirality fittingness), where homospheric double cosets permit achiral ligands only; enantiospheric ones permit achiral ligands or enantiomeric pairs; and hemispheric ones permit achiral and chiral ligands. The sphericities of double cosets are linked to the sphericities of cycles which are ascribed to right coset representations. Thus, each cycle is assigned to the corresponding sphericity index (a _d , c _d , or b _d ) so as to construct a cycle indices with chirality fittingness (CI-CFs). The resulting CI-CFs are proved to be identical with CI-CFs introduced in Fujita’s proligand method (S. Fujita, Theor. Chem. Acc. 113 (2005) 73–79 and 80–86). The versatility of the CI-CFs in combinatorial enumeration of stereoisomers is demonstrated by using methane derivatives as examples, where the numbers of achiral plus chiral stereoisomers, those of achiral stereoisomers, and those of chiral stereoisomers are calculated separately by means of respective generating functions.     

Profiling and comprehensive expression analysis of ABC transporter solute-binding proteins of Bacillus subtilis membrane based on a proteomic approach

We analyzed ABC transporter solute-binding proteins (SBPs) of the Bacillus subtilis membrane using a proteomic approach. We prepared a washed cell membrane fraction that was insoluble in 134 mM nondetergent sulfobetaine and then extracted proteins using mixtures of detergents in a stepwise manner. The membrane proteins were resolved by three two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE) or two one-dimensional (1-D) PAGE procedures, electroblotted, and digested in the presence of 5% or 80% acetonitrile. Thereafter, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) identified 637 proteins corresponding to 15.9% of the total cellular proteins. We predicted that among these, 256 were membrane proteins, 101 were lipoproteins or secretory proteins and 280 were soluble proteins containing peripheral proteins that function in both the cytoplasm and the cell membrane such as SecA and FtsY. Among the 637 proteins, we identified 30 SBPs among 38 importers predicted by a bioinformatic search of the genome. We confirmed expression of the genes for the 30 SBPs using DNA microarray analysis. We compared the 2-D gel separation profiles of submembrane fractions solubilized by 1% n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside from cells cultured on Luria Bertani (LB), S7, and S7 medium without glutamate as well as DNA microarray data on LB and S7. The results suggested that YcdH, YtmK and YurO are binding proteins for Mn(++), glutamate and glucose, respectively, and that YqiX and YxeM are binding proteins for amino acids (tryptophan in S7 medium).     

Synthesis of pyrimidine derivatives by the reaction of ketene dithioacetals with amides

Reactions of methyl 2-cyano-3,3-bis(methylthio)acrylate ( 1a ) with carboxamides 2a-g in the presence of sodium hydride in a mixture of benzene and N,N-dimethylacetamide took place displacement with the methylthio group to give the corresponding methyl 3-N-acylamino-2-cyano-3-(methylthio)acrylates 3a-g which were readily converted to the corresponding pyrimidine derivatives at reflux in methanol in good yields. Reactions of 2-cyano-3,3-bis(methylthio)acrylonitrile ( 1b ) with the carboxamides 2a-f gave directly pyrimidine-5-carbonitrile derivatives 7a-f . Ketene dithioacetals 1a,b smoothly reacted with thioamide 2g or urea 2h,i to give the expected pyrimidine derivatives 9,10a,b . Polyfunctionalized pyrimidines, thus obtained, were also used for the synthesis of fused pyrimidine derivatives.     

A new veratramine alkaloid from the bulbs of Fritillaria hupehensis

A new highly conjugated alkaloid of veratramine type, 225,25S,5α-veratramine-7(8),12(14)-diene-3β,13β,23β-triol-6-one (1), was isolated from the bulbs of Fritillaria hupehensis Hsiao et K.C. Hsia. Its structure was determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidences.     

ESTIMATION OF AN INDEX OF HYDROPHOBICITY OF DNA INTERIOR USING 5-METHOXYPSORALEN AS A FLUORESCENT PROBE

The index of hydrophobicity of DNA interior was estimated by measuring fluorescence spectra of psoralen derivatives associated with DNA. The environment around 5-MOP associated with DNA was as hydrophobic (D_k = 34) as methanol, suggesting that the molecules reside at the space between the base-pairs in B-form DNA. This is also true for 8-MOP. Thus, planar and aromatic molecules of 5- and 8-MOP are more stable in the interior of DNA than in aqueous medium due to hydrophobic affinity.     

Position — Sensitive single-wire proportional counter for conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy

A position-sensitive single-wire proportional counter for the INS 2 air-core spectrometer has been improved to take conversion electron Mössbauer spectrum as a function of electron energy with a multichannel mode. The position resolution at 13.6 keV was found to become 1.6 mm with the counter gas pressure of 320 Torr. The position resolution was obtained as a function of energy between 7 and 60 keV for gas pressure of 40 Torr, 160 Torr and 320 Torr. The L, M and N conversion electron spectrum of the 14.4 keV transition in⁵⁷Fe was taken with the present system. Overall momentum resolution was found to be 0.23% for the L₁-line and 0.19% for the M₁ line.     

Dissipative structures formed in the course of drying the colloidal crystals of silica spheres on a cover glass

Macroscopic and microscopic dissipative structural patterns formed in the course of drying the deionized aqueous colloidal crystal suspensions of silica spheres (diameter: 103 nm) on a cover glass have been observed. Spoke-like and ring-like patterns are formed in the macroscopic scale; the former is the crack in the sphere film and the latter is the hill accumulated with spheres formed around the outside edge. The neighbored inter-spoke angle, thickness of the film, and other morphological parameters have been discussed as a function of sphere concentration, concentration of sodium chloride, and the inclined angle of the cover glass. Fractal patterns of the mud cracks are observed in the microscopic scale. Capillary forces between spheres at the air-liquid surface and the relative rates between the water flow at the drying front and the convection flow of spheres are important for the pattern formation. Electronic Publication     

Structural colors in nature: the role of regularity and irregularity in the structure.

Coloring in nature mostly comes from the inherent colors of materials, but it sometimes has a purely physical origin, such as diffraction or interference of light. The latter, called structural color or iridescence, has long been a problem of scientific interest. Recently, structural colors have attracted great interest because their applications have been rapidly progressing in many fields related to vision, such as the paint, automobile, cosmetics, and textile industries. As the research progresses, however, it has become clear that these colors are due to the presence of surprisingly minute microstructures, which are hardly attainable even by ultramodern nanotechnology. Fundamentally, most of the structural colors originate from basic optical processes represented by thin-film interference, multilayer interference, a diffraction grating effect, photonic crystals, light scattering, and so on. However, to enhance the perception of the eyes, natural creatures have produced various designs, in the course of evolution, to fulfill simultaneously high reflectivity in a specific wavelength range and the generation of diffusive light in a wide angular range. At a glance, these two characteristics seem to contradict each other in the usual optical sense, but these seemingly conflicting requirements are realized by combining appropriate amounts of regularity and irregularity of the structure. In this Review, we first explain the fundamental optical properties underlying the structural colors, and then survey these mysteries of nature from the viewpoint of regularity and irregularity of the structure. Finally, we propose a general principle of structural colors based on structural hierarchy and show their up-to-date applications.     

A facile sulfonylation method enabling direct syntheses of per(2-O-sulfonyl)-β-cyclodextrins

Cs₂CO₃ was found to efficiently catalyze the reaction of β-cyclodextrin and N-tosylimidazole. Stirring β-cyclodextrin and N-tosylimidazole in 1/1.2 molar ratio in DMF in the presence of catalytic amount of Cs₂CO₃ at rt for 1.5 h afforded 2^A-mono(O-tosyl)-β-cyclodextrin in 32% yield. The 2^A,2^B-, 2^A,2^C- and 2^A,2^D-ditosylates were isolated in ca. 6-7% yields, respectively, when β-cyclodextrin and N-tosylimidazole were used in 1/2.5 molar ratio. The charge of excess (10 equiv) of N-tosylimidazole ensured a one-step direct (protection-free) synthesis of the per(2-O-tosyl)-β-cyclodextrin in 5% isolated yield. N-(m-Nitrobenzenesulfonyl)imidazole even allowed a much faster access to the corresponding persulfonate in only 1 h reaction.     

Room-temperature and solution-state observation of the mixed-valence cation radical dimer of tetrathiafulvalene, [(TTF)2]+*, within a self-assembled cage

A mixed-valence state of the cation radical tetrathiafulvalene dimer, [(TTF)2]+*, is generated by the electrochemical oxidation of a stacked TTF dimer accommodated within an organic-pillared coordination cage. This mixed-valence species is remarkably stable (t1/2 = approximately 1 day at room temperature in aqueous solution under air) and clearly characterized by cyclic voltammogram and electronic absorption spectroscopy.