On the High Viscosity of Aqueous Solution of Lysozyme Induced by Some Organic Solvents

A remarkably high viscosity has been induced in protein aqueous solutions by the addition of certain structurally related organic solvents. The effect has been observed for lysozyme aqueous solutions containing tetramethylurea (TMU), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylformamide, and hexamethylphosphortriamide. The effect has also been induced in ferrocytochrome c aqueous solutions by TMU. Critical concentrations for both the protein and organic solvent were verified for the onset of the viscosity increase. A common feature of the solvents which were able to induce the effect is a dipolar moiety (C=O, S → O and P → O) and a nonpolar region represented by the methyl groups. The resulting fluids show an extremely restricted flow and a typical non-Newtonian, pseudoplastic behavior. Use was made of¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Raman spectroscopy to characterize protein structural modifications and of¹³C NMR to investigate changes in relaxation times and chemical shifts in the solvent/water solutions. A systematic rheological characterization of the systems was undertaken for some of the solvents, and unusual patterns of viscous effects were identified for the solvent/water systems both with and without protein. The process was found to be at least partially reversible, as concluded from the recovered original solution rheological characteristics and the original protein¹H NMR spectrum, after eliminating the organic solvent by ultrafiltration. The whole process was characterized as consisting of two mutually independent stages. The first involves an extensive conformational transition of the polypeptide backbone, from a predominantly α-helical to increased random coiled and β-sheet structures, with the occurrence of nonorthodox protein secondary structures at regions above the solvent critical point. The second stage consists of short-lived interchain contacts leading to an entanglement of the macromolecular system as a whole. A microphase reversion in the organic solvent/water mixture, supported by¹³C NMR and rheological results, is proposed as the driving force causing the observed behavior.     

Effect of hydrogen bonding of solvent on the thermodynamic stability of cadmium ethylenediamine complexes

Changes in the stability of the cadmium(ii) ethylenediamine complexes in mixed water—DMSO solvents were studied by pH-metry and calorimetry. Complex cations [Cd(en)]²⁺, [Cd(en)₂]²⁺, and [Cd(en)₃]²⁺ are formed in aqueous solutions, and the [Cd(en)₄]²⁺ complex with a partially dentate ligand is stable in DMSO. An increase in the DMSO content in a solvent increases the stability of the complexes. The maximum increase in logK is observed for coordinatively saturated compounds. The thermodynamics of complexation is discussed from the viewpoint of solvation approach. Principal differences in the influence of aqueous-alcohol and aqueous-aprotic solvents on the stability of the metal amino complexes were revealed. Protolytic solvents exert a destabilizing effect on the multiligand complexes, because the coordination sphere is involved in H bonding.     

Generation and capture of methyl(vinyl)silanone

Methyl(vinyl)dichlorosilane reacts with DMSO in the presence of hexamethyldisiloxane to give the corresponding linear oligosiloxanes of the general formula Me₃Si(OSiMeVin) _n OSiMe₃ (n=1–6) as well as MeSi(OSiMe₃)₃ and Me₃Si(MeOSiVin) _m OSi(OSiMe₃)(Me)OSiMe₃ (m=1–2). The same reaction in the presence of chlorotrimethylsilane results in oligomers of the general formula Me₃Si(OSiMeVin) _n Cl (n=1–3). A possible scheme of their formation is discussed. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1614–1616, August, 1998.     

Simple test system for single molecule recognition force microscopy

We have established an easy-to-use test system for detecting receptor-ligand interactions on the single molecule level using atomic force microscopy (AFM). For this, avidin-biotin, probably the best characterized receptor-ligand pair, was chosen. AFM sensors were prepared containing tethered biotin molecules at sufficiently low surface concentrations appropriate for single molecule studies. A biotin tether, consisting of a 6 nm poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain and a functional succinimide group at the other end, was newly synthesized and covalently coupled to amine-functionalized AFM tips. In particular, PEG₈₀₀ diamine was glutarylated, the mono-adduct NH₂-PEG-COOH was isolated by ion exchange chromatography and reacted with biotin succinimidylester to give biotin-PEG-COOH which was then activated as N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester to give the biotin-PEG-NHS conjugate which was coupled to the aminofunctionalized AFM tip. The motional freedom provided by PEG allows for free rotation of the biotin molecule on the AFM sensor and for specific binding to avidin which had been adsorbed to mica surfaces via electrostatic interactions. Specific avidin-biotin recognition events were discriminated from nonspecific tip-mica adhesion by their typical unbinding force (∼40 pN at 1.4 nN/s loading rate), unbinding length (<13 nm), the characteristic nonlinear force-distance relation of the PEG linker, and by specific block with excess of free d-biotin. The convenience of the test system allowed to evaluate, and compare, different methods and conditions of tip aminofunctionalization with respect to specific binding and nonspecific adhesion. It is concluded that this system is well suited as calibration or start-up kit for single molecule recognition force microscopy.     

Characterization of nonderivatized plant cell walls using high-resolution solution-state NMR spectroscopy

A recently described plant cell wall dissolution system has been modified to use perdeuterated solvents to allow direct in-NMR-tube dissolution and high-resolution solution-state NMR of the whole cell wall without derivatization. Finely ground cell wall material dissolves in a solvent system containing dimethylsulfoxide-d(6) and 1-methylimidazole-d(6) in a ratio of 4:1 (v/v), keeping wood component structures mainly intact in their near-native state. Two-dimensional NMR experiments, using gradient-HSQC (heteronuclear single quantum coherence) 1-bond (13)C--(1)H correlation spectroscopy, on nonderivatized cell wall material from a representative gymnosperm pinus taeda (loblolly pine), an angiosperm Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen), and a herbaceous plant Hibiscus cannabinus (kenaf) demonstrate the efficacy of the system. We describe a method to synthesize 1-methylimidazole-d(6) with a high degree of perdeuteration, thus allowing cell wall dissolution and NMR characterization of nonderivatized plant cell wall structures.     

Crystallization of Two Cyanide-bridged Bimetallic Complexes [LN(DMSO)2(H2O)3Co(CN)6]·H2O (LN = Pr or Nd, DMSO = Dimethylsulfoxide)

1INTRODUCTIONRecently,therehasbeenconsiderableinterestinthelanthanide(III)hexacyanoferrates,theanalogoushexacyanocobaltateandhexacyanochromiumatecom-plexesbecauseoftheirpotentialapplicationsascata-lyticandsemi-conductivematerials.InitialstudiesofmetalhexacyanocobaltateswerecarriedoutbyJa-mesandWilland[1]whoreportedtheamountofhy-drationassociatedwithmicroscopiccrystalsofsever-allanthanidecomplexes.FurtherBonnetandParis[2]studiedtheLNCo(CN)6?nH2Oseries(n=4)byusinginfraredandX-raymethod…     

Quantum chemical models of alkali metal hydroxide-water-dimethylsulfoxide superbasic media (MOH-H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O-DMSO,M = Li,Na, K)

Models of alkali metal hydroxide-water-dimethylsulfoxide superbasic media have been constructed using Hartree Fock and DFT (B3LYP) quantum chemical methods; the structure and energies of anion complexes are considered. The hydroxide anion in the models is stabilized as complexes of OH^?·H₂O and OH^?· 2H₂O types.