Targeting apoptosis via chemical design: inhibition of bid-induced cell death by small organic molecules

Bid is a key member of the Bcl-2 family proteins involved in the control of the apoptotic cascade in cells, leading to cell death. Uncontrolled cell death is associated with several human pathologies, such as neurodegenerative diseases and ischemic injuries. Therefore, Bid represents a potential yet unexplored and challenging target for strategies aimed at the development of therapeutic agents. Here we show that a multidisciplinary NMR-based approach that we named SAR by ILOEs (structure activity relationships by interligand nuclear Overhauser effect) allowed us to rationally design a series of 4-phenylsulfanyl-phenylamine derivatives that are capable of occupying a deep hydrophobic crevice on the surface of Bid. These compounds represent the first antiapoptotic small molecules targeting a Bcl-2 protein as shown by their ability to inhibit tBid-induced SMAC release, caspase-3 activation, and cell death.     

Relationship between capture coefficient and capture cross-section: Average velocity of a maxwellian distribution of carriers in a medium with an anisotropic effective mass tensor

The capture cross section of a trapping or recombination center for a charge carrier has been defined as the quotient of the capture coefficient and the average thermal velocity of the carrier distribution. For a Maxwellian distribution in a semiconductor band with an ellipsoidal effective mass tensor, this average velocity can be expressed as

Mixed-Isotope Labeling with LC-IMS-MS for Characterization of Protein–Protein Interactions by Chemical Cross-Linking

Chemical cross-linking of proteins followed by proteolysis and mass spectrometric analysis of the resulting cross-linked peptides provides powerful insight into the quaternary structure of protein complexes. Mixed-isotope cross-linking (a method for distinguishing intermolecular cross-links) was coupled with liquid chromatography, ion mobility spectrometry and mass spectrometry (LC-IMS-MS) to provide an additional separation dimension to the traditional cross-linking approach. This method produced multiplet m/z peaks that are aligned in the IMS drift time dimension and serve as signatures of intermolecular cross-linked peptides. We developed an informatics tool to use the amino acid sequence information inherent in the multiplet spacing for accurate identification of the cross-linked peptides. Because of the separation of cross-linked and non-cross-linked peptides in drift time, our LC-IMS-MS approach was able to confidently detect more intermolecular cross-linked peptides than LC-MS alone.      

Work function changes produced by chemisorption due to site heterogeneity

A quantum theory of elastic scattering of atoms from crystal surfaces is presented, based on a hard corrugated surface model. It is shown in detail how the rainbow effect arises and determines the diffraction probabilities, such a rainbow effect being the quantum analogon of McClure's classical rainbow. Further topics considered are the influence of a potential well and the reasons why diffraction hardly occurs from metal surfaces. The basis for a possible extension to inelastic scattering is sketched.     

The coadsorption of potassium and co on the pt(111) crystal surface: A TDS,HREELS and UPS study

The interaction of CO with a potassium covered Pt(111) surface is investigated using thermal desorption (TDS), high resolution electron energy loss (HREELS) and ultraviolet photoelectron (UPS) spectroscopies. When submonolayer amounts of potassium are preadsorbed, the adsorption energy of CO increases from 25 to 36 kcal/mole, while substantial shifts in the site occupancy from the linear to the bridged site are observed. The CO stretching vibrational frequencies are shown to decrease continuously with either increasing potassium coverage or decreasing CO coverage. A minimum CO stretching frequency of 1400 cm^?1 is observed, indicative of a CO bond order of 1.5. The work function decreases by up to 4.5 eV at submonolayer potassium coverages, but then increases by 1.5 eV upon CO co-adsorption. The results indicate that the large adsorption energy, vibrational frequency and work function changes are due to molecular CO adsorption with a substantial charge donation from potassium through the platinum substrate and into the 2π¹_CO orbital.     

Gasuntersuchungen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Derivation of O(3) Electrodynamics from the Einstein–Sachs Theory of General Relativity

General relativity is reduced to O(3) electrodynamics by consideration of the irreducible representations of the Einstein group and through a particular choice of basis. The photon is shown always to possess a scalar curvature R, and so the origin of quantization is found in general relativity.     

Evaluation of hydrogen ion concentrations in prostates from rats and dogs using fluorescent confocal microscopy

The knowledge of intracellular spatial distribution of pH in prostates in animal models reflective of human prostate may have implications for drug development upon pH dependent drug delivery and activity. Freshly dissected prostate tissues (in vitro) or the entire prostate gland (in vivo) were loaded with fluorescent dyes and viewed using confocal microscopy. Images were initially taken in tissues perfused with RPMI-1640 medium. Calibration in situ was performed with high potassium buffers of known pH containing nigericin. Acetoxymethyl ester carboxy-SNARF-1 was visible in epithelial cells (but not stroma) in rat and dog prostates. The pH of lysosomes in prostate epithelial cells was 5.2 as determined by fluorescence of Lyso Sensor Green DND-189. A method of in situ confirmation of tissue viability was developed by a secondary loading and visualization of the BCECF fluorescent dye. Besides the direct measurement of the pH in rat and dog tissues (pH ≈ 7.0), a method of pH measurement in prostate tissue (rather than in cell culture) was developed.