Monofluoroalkene-Isostere as a 19F NMR Label for the Peptide Backbone: Synthesis and Evaluation in Membrane-Bound PGLa and (KIGAKI)3

Solid-state ¹⁹F NMR is a powerful method to study the interactions of biologically active peptides with membranes. So far, in labelled peptides, the ¹⁹F-reporter group has always been installed on the side chain of an amino acid. Given the fact that monofluoroalkenes are non-hydrolyzable peptide bond mimics, we have synthesized a monofluoroalkene-based dipeptide isostere, Val-Ψ[(Z)-CF=CH]-Gly, and inserted it in the sequence of two well-studied antimicrobial peptides: PGLa and (KIGAKI)₃ are representatives of an α-helix and a β-sheet. The conformations and biological activities of these labeled peptides were studied to assess the suitability of monofluoroalkenes for ¹⁹F NMR structure analysis.     

2-羟丙基-β-环糊精与二茂铁衍生物超分子胶束通过氧化还原响应控制药物释放

合成了新型的具有长链的二茂铁衍生物(P-Fc),并将其包络在2-羟丙基-β-环糊精(HP-β-CD)的空腔中,自组装形成超分子囊泡,并通过FTIR、1 HNMR、SEM和CV曲线对其进行结构形貌表征;分别以罗丹明6G(R6G)、盐酸阿霉素(DOX)作为药物,实现了R6G、DOX在囊泡中的成功装载。并通过加入氧化剂,将二茂铁氧化成二茂铁盐,将囊泡破坏,实现了 R6G 和 DOX 的快速定向释放,其药物装载量分别为6.89和39.06μg/mg,最大释放率分别为73.7%和88.2%。     

磁性非对称双链长表面活性剂囊泡凝胶

合成了一系列含磁性反离子的非对称双疏水链长的阳离子表面活性剂,其中三氯一溴铁合十六烷基戊基二甲基铵(C_(16)C_5DMA~+[FeCl_3Br]-~)与偶氮羧酸钠盐(AzoNa_4)在酸性条件水溶液中形成磁性囊泡凝胶。运用cryo-透射电镜(TEM)、冷冻蚀刻TEM(FF-TEM)、流变仪、傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)和超导量子干涉(SQUID)等表征技术对囊泡凝胶进行了结构和性质研究,结果发现:凝胶含有曲率多变的融合性的双层囊泡,这些双分子层结构模构了自然界中各种物象的结构轮廓,展现了不可预测的多变曲率和良好柔性。聚集体双分子层膜内由长短不对称烷基链采取交错相扣的双分子层排列模式,这种构建模式结构稳定,短烷基链可游离出囊泡双分子层并伸向外部水相介质。两个相邻囊泡间的短链在疏水相互作用下形成非共价的囊泡"补丁",疏水的囊泡"补丁"克服相邻囊泡之间的斥力而融合。磁性反离子[FeCl_3Br]~-不仅赋予囊泡磁性,且在囊泡的形成过程中调控烷基链的组装。这种多形态融合性囊泡为揭示膜曲率的调节机制和构建人工细胞提供实验数据和理论参考。     

Reduction-responsive vesicles composed of dimethylaminopropyl octadecanamide and dithiodipropionic acid

Reduction-responsive vesicle was prepared by salt-bridging N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-octadecanamide (DMAPODA, a cationic amphiphile) using 3,3′-dithiodipropionic acid (DTPA, a disulfide diacid compound). According to the transmission electron micrograph and the fluorescence quenching degree (53.2%), it could be said that vesicles were formed when the DMAPODA to DTPA molar ratio was 2:2. The DMAPODA/DTPA associate was considered to be a building block for vesicle formation because DTPA could electrostatically associate with DMAPODA and help the cationic amphiphile assemble into the vesicle. On a differential scanning calorimetric thermogram, the DMAPODA/DTPA vesicle showed two endothermic peaks at 50.6°C and 63.2°C. The peak found at the lower temperature was possibly due to the solid gel-to-liquid crystal phase transition of the vesicular membrane and the peak found at the higher temperature was considered to be due to the melting of DMAPODA, indicating that unassociated DMAPODA coexisted with DMAPODA/DTPA vesicles. The release of calcein enveloped in the vesicle was promoted by DL-dithiothreitol, possibly because DTPA can be broken by the reducing agent to form mercaptopropionic acids and the vesicle could be disintegrated and/or the vesicular membrane would become defective.     

Solvent-Polymer Interaction. II. Measurements of Liquid Solvent Molecules Associating with Polymer Sites and of Their Transport Behavior in Polymer Membrane by Thermogravimetry,GLC, and Mass Spectrometry

The measurement of sorption and diffusion behavior of liquid ethanol and water solvent mixtures in polyurethane membrane were made simultaneously by thermogravimetry. The individual amounts of sorbed water and ethanol in the polymer membrane were estimated by thermogravimetry and differentiated by mass spectrometry. In addition, from a single dynamic thermogravimetric experiment the activation energy for solvent molecules desorbing from the polymer membrane was also determined. The thermodynamic activity of ethanol vapor in equilibrium with the ethanol-water-polyurethane system was determined by gas-liquid chromatography. The clustering functions, the mean numbers of solvent molecules in the clusters, and those associating with polymer sites were evaluated by applying simplified mathematical derivatives using the experimentally determined values of activity and volume fraction of solvent molecules. It was found that at lower ethanol concentration the tendency for ethanol molecules to cluster together is high. At higher ethanol activity, ethanol-polymer site interactions predominantly occurred.

Similar results were observed for ethanol-water molecules. However, water molecules in this particular system did not exhibit a self-associating tendency nor interact with the polymer sites. It was concluded that the Zimm-Lundberg clustering theory can be adequately applied to the interpretation of sorption and diffusion behavior of liquid ethanol-water mixtures in the polymer membrane.     

Altered Lipid Composition of Secretory Cells Following Exposure to Zinc Can Be Correlated to Changes in Exocytosis

A micromolar concentration of zinc has been shown to significantly change the dynamics of exocytosis as well as the vesicle contents in a model cell line, providing direct evidence that zinc regulates neurotransmitter release. To provide insight into how zinc modulates these exocytotic processes, neurotransmitter release and vesicle content were compared with single cell amperometry and intracellular impact vesicle cytometry with a range of zinc concentrations. Additionally, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) images of lipid distributions in the cell membrane after zinc treatment correlate to changes in exocytosis. By combining electrochemical techniques and mass spectrometry imaging, we proposed a mechanism by which zinc changes the fusion pore and the rate of neurotransmitter release by changing lipid distributions and results in the modulation of synaptic strength and plasticity.     

The pH induced vesicle to micelle morphology transition of a THP‐protected polymer

A diblock copolymer consisting of tetrahydropyranyl acrylate (THPA) as a pH‐deprotectable block, and a permanently hydrophobic block, methyl acrylate, was synthesized by RAFT polymerization using a quaternary amine functionalized, hydrophilic, RAFT chain transfer agent. The polymer self‐assembled in water to form vesicles with D_h = 130 nm, as determined by DLS and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. Acid catalyzed deprotection of the THPA units to yield acrylic acid resulted in a vesicle to micelle morphology transition, as evidenced by the decrease in hydrodynamic diameter to D_h = 19 nm and the observation of micelles by dry state transmission electron microscopy. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 3026–3031     

海藻酸-磷脂微囊复合水凝胶的制备、表征及毒理学分析

采用薄膜分散法合成磷脂微囊,根据胶粒的双电层理论,通过在微囊中加入氯化锰、氯化钙和氯化镁电解质溶液,使微囊处于相对稳定的状态.研究发现加入氯化锰和氯化钙溶液,微囊胶体的粒径没有明显的变化,但加入一定浓度氯化镁溶液,其粒径明显变大.为了进一步增加磷脂微囊稳定性,将氯化锰、氯化钙、氯化镁磷脂微囊胶体分别与海藻酸钠(SA)溶液混合.结果表明,氯化镁与SA几乎不能形成水凝胶,氯化钙与SA形成水凝胶能力强于氯化锰.微囊胶体溶液中的磷脂酰丝氨酸(PS)可以与Ca~(2+)和Mg~(2+)键合形成PS-Ca~(2+)和PS-Mg~(2+),但不能与Mn~(2+)键合形成PS-Mn~(2+).对氯化钙磷脂微囊与海藻酸钠合成的复合水凝胶的形貌、溶胀率及细胞毒性进行了表征,结果表明,氯化钙与SA形成的水凝胶可以捕获胶体中磷脂微囊,且形貌规整,结构稳定,无细胞毒性.     

Aggregate Conformation and Rheological Properties of Didodecyldimethylammonium Bromide in Aqueous Solution

Aggregation behavior of didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) in aqueous solution was investigated using negative-staining and freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods. With the concentration increase, the vesicle size enlarged from the range of 100–200 nm to 500–3000 nm and the structure transform from unilamella to multilamella. Rheological and viscosity measurement results indicated that the system exhibited a gel-like material characteristic and shearing thinning in property, as shown that the apparent viscosity decreased gradually during the shear rate ascended from 1 × 10^?4–1 × 10⁴ s^?1. Furthermore, the relationship between aggregate conformation and solution rheological properties was discussed.     

流场环境下复杂囊泡的动力学行为

采用非平衡态分子动力学方法研究了二维复杂囊泡在剪切流中的动力学行为. 模拟发现了复杂囊泡经典的翻滚(tumbling)、摇摆(trembling)和坦克履(tank-treading)行为, 还观察到由坦克履行为向平动行为(translating)的转变. 囊泡的平动行为与剪切率大小、复杂囊泡的形状密切相关. 当大囊泡均匀嫁接较多数目的小囊泡后, 其平动方式消失. 该研究有益于加深对囊泡在剪切流场中复杂性行为的理解.