Crystallization of Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C N-(1-D-carboxyethyl)-L-norvaline dehydrogenase and its complex with NAD+

The novel NAD+-linked opine dehydrogenase from a soil isolate Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C belongs to an enzyme superfamily whose members exhibit quite diverse substrate specificites. Crystals of this opine dehydrogenase, obtained in the presence or absence of co-factor and substrates, have been shown to diffract to beyond 1.8 ? resolution. X-ray precession photographs have established that the crystals belong to space group P21212, with cell parameters a = 104.9, b = 80.0, c = 45.5 ? and a single subunit in the asymmetric unit. The elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of this enzyme will provide a structural framework for this novel class of dehydrogenases to enable a comparison to be made with other enzyme families and also as the basis for mutagenesis experiments directed towards the production of natural and synthetic opine-type compounds containing two chiral centres.     

Synthesis and structure of fluorotricyanomethane

Fluorotricyanomethane is prepared from potassium tricyanomethanide and perchlorylfluoride. The crystal structure of this compound (orthorhombic, space group P2₁2₁2₁, with a=6.270, b=6.734, c=11.776 Å) has been determined by X-ray analysis. The results are discussed in relation to those of (NC)₃C? X (X=? CH₃, ? Cl, ? Br or ? CN).     

Spontaneous adsorption of ferrocenes on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite edges

The spontaneous adsorption of ferrocene and eight derivatives have been examined electrochemically on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite edges. All compounds give surface coverages of ca. 2×10^?8 mol/cm². Three of the adsorbed compounds give oxidation waves significantly more negative than their solution counterparts, in contrast with the other six derivatives.     

Three polymorphs of 4‐4′‐diiodobenzalazine,and 4‐chloro‐4′‐iodobenzalazine

Three polymorphs of 4,4′‐diiodobenzalazine (systematic name: 4‐iodobenzaldehyde azine), C₁₄H₁₀I₂N₂, have crystallographically imposed inversion symmetry. 4‐Chloro‐4′‐iodobenzalazine [systematic name: 1‐(4‐chlorobenzylidene)‐2‐(4‐iodobenzylidene)diazane], C₁₄H₁₀ClIN₂, has a partially disordered pseudocentrosymmetric packing and is not isostructural with any of the polymorphs of 4,4′‐diiodobenzalazine. All structures pack utilizing halogen–halogen interactions; some also have weak π (benzene ring) interactions. A comparison with previously published methylphenylketalazines (which differ by substitution of methyl for H at the azine C atoms) shows a fundamentally different geometry for these two classes, namely planar for the alazines and twisted for the ketalazines. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the difference is fundamental and not an artifact of packing forces.     

Catalytic enantioselective Conia-ene reaction

An enantioselective intramolecular Conia-ene reaction of beta-dicarbonyl compounds and alkynes to afford methylene cyclopentanes is described. The reaction employs a DTBMSegphos-Pd(II)/Yb(III) dual catalyst system that allows for the asymmetric synthesis of all-carbon quaternary centers and generates a product containing an alkene that can be further manipulated.     

Electrospray-assisted modification of proteins: a radical probe of protein structure

A new approach is described to probe the structure of proteins through their reactivity with oxygen-containing radicals. Radical-induced oxidative modification of proteins is achieved within an electrospray ion source using oxygen as a reactive nebulizer gas at high needle voltages. This method facilitates the rapid oxidation of proteins as the molecules emerge from the electrospray needle tip. Electrospray mass spectra of both ubiquitin and lysozyme reveal that over 50% of the protein can be modified under these conditions. The radical-induced oxidative modification of amino acid side chains is correlated with their solvent accessibility to obtain information on a protein's higher-order structure. The oxidation sites in hen lysozyme have been identified by proteolysis of the condensed protein solution and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Oxidation of tryptophan at positions 62 and 123 occurs exclusively over all other tryptophan residues, consistent with the relative solvent accessibilities of the residue side chains based on the NMR structure of the protein. Radical-induced oxidative modification of cysteine (Cys), methionine (Met), tryptophan (Trp), phenylalanine (Phe), tyrosine (Tyr), proline (Pro), histidine (His), and leucine (Leu) residues is also reported, providing sufficient reactive markers to span a protein sequence. This facile oxidation process could be applied to investigate the molecular mechanism by which reactive oxygen species interact with a particular protein domain as a means to investigate the onset of certain diseases.