In vivo multispectral imaging of the absorption and scattering properties of exposed brain using a digital red–green–blue camera

Optical Review - To evaluate multi-spectral images of the absorption and scattering properties in the cerebral cortex of rat brain, we investigated spectral reflectance images estimated by the...     

Synthesis of All Stereoisomers of Monomeric Spectomycin A1/A2 and Evaluation of Their Protein SUMOylation-Inhibitory Activity

A synthetic methodology to access all possible stereoisomers of spectomycin A1 (SMA1) and A2 (SMA2) has been established through late-stage diversification. The key reaction for the construction of all four diastereomers is an intramolecular cyclization based on the umpolung of π-allyl palladium species with bis(pinacolato)diborane (B₂(pin)₂). Silyl group assisted direct benzylic oxidation of each isomer enabled construction of the fragile β-hydroxytetralone skeleton to provide the SMAs. The relative and absolute stereochemistry of SMA2 was also determined, and the absolute stereochemistry of SMA1 was extrapolated based on the optical rotation of SMA2. The axial chirality of SMAs is discussed based on circular dichroism spectra and DFT calculations, and it is concluded that the M isomer is predominant in solution. Biochemical assessment of all isomers in vitro revealed that the C9 hydroxyl group and dimeric structure were both important for protein SUMOylation-inhibitory activity.     

Dynamic and static nature of activated interactions in transition states as elucidated by quantum theory of atoms-in-molecules dual functional analysis: A case of ligand exchange at the N of sulfonylimino-λ3-bromanes

A method to elucidate the dynamic and static natures of the activated interactions in transition states (TSs) is proposed using quantum theory of atoms-in-molecules (QTAIM) dual functional analysis (QTAIM-DFA). The natures are determined for the ligand exchange at the N of sulfonylimino-λ³-bromanes, RBr-*-N(SO₂CF₃)-*-X′R′ (R, R′ = Me or Ph, X′ = Br′ or I′). Asterisks (*) emphasize the presence of bond critical points within the interactions in question. While data from the optimized structures of TSs correspond to the static nature, those from the perturbed and optimized structures represent the dynamic nature. The nature of the interactions in Br-*-N-*-X′ calculated with QTAIM-DFA, using the perturbed structures generated using the normal coordinates for the imaginary frequencies (NIV), was very similar to that in trigonal bipyramidal adduct formation through charge transfer. The results with NIV were precisely the same as those obtained based on intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC). The high applicability of QTAIM-DFA is demonstrated when analyzing the activated interactions in TSs.     

Facile synthesis of optically active oxindoles by copper-catalyzed asymmetric monotosylation of prochiral 1,3-diols

A facile synthetic method toward optically active 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles with excellent enantioselectivity was achieved using chiral copper-catalyzed desymmetrization of prochiral 1,3-diols. The monotosylated product was transformed into oxindole derivatives efficiently.     

In vivo estimation of optical properties of rat liver using single-reflectance fiber probe during ischemia and reperfusion

Optical Review - To quantify the changes in optical properties of in vivo rat liver tissue, we applied diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) system using single-reflectance fiber probe during...     

Nonbonded P···P and P···Se Interactions in Naphthalene 1,8-Positions: Role of Lone-Pair Orbitals

The lone pair-lone pair repulsion plays an important role in the nonbonded P;;;P interaction in naphthalene 1,8-positions. The conformations around P and Se in 8-(PhSe)-1-(Ph 2 P=O)C 10 H 6 are determined by the attractive O;;;Se--C 3c-4e type interaction. The P;;;Se interaction in the 1,8-positions is also discussed.     

Thermodynamic properties of ethanol solution of chiral camphors and its derivatives

Enthalpies of mixing and the densities of ethanol solution of R- and S-enantiomers of camphor, 10-camphorsulfonamide, 10-camphorsulfonic acid, camphorquinone, and 10-camphorsulfonyl chloride have been measured for a wide range of mole fractions of heterochiral components at 298.15 K. Enthalpies of mixing were exothermic for all concentrations and heterochiral solutions were more stable than each of the homochiral solutions. Enthalpic stabilization of mixing of heterochiral solutions was increased with a decreasing concentration of all the camphor derivatives measured. The sequence of enthalpic stabilization on mixing was 10-camphorsulfonyl chloride, 10-camphorsulfonic acid, 10-camphorsulfonamide, camphor, and camphorquinone. Apparent molar volumes were determined and excess volumes of mixing of heterochiral solutions were small and negative. Enthalpic stabilizations were found to be dependent on dipole–dipole interaction between solutes and solvents.     

Structure of melittin bound to phospholipid micelles studied using hydrogen-deuterium exchange and electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

The structure of melittin bound to dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelles was investigated using hydrogen–deuterium (H/D) exchange in conjunction with collision induced dissociation (CID) in an rf-only hexapole ion guide with electrospray ionization-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR MS). The deuterium incorporation into backbone amide hydrogens of melittin with or without DPC micelles was analyzed at different time points examining the mass of each fragment ion produced by hexapole CID. When melittin existed alone in aqueous solution, more than 80% of amide hydrogens was exchanged within 10 s, and the deuterium content in each fragment ion showed high values throughout the experiments. When melittin was bound to DPC micelles, the percentage of deuterium incorporation into the fragment decreased remarkably at any time point. It increased little by little as the exchange period prolonged, indicating that some stable structure was formed by the interaction with DPC. The results obtained here were consistent with the previous studies on the helical structure of melittin carried out by NMR and CD analyses. The strategy using H/D exchange and MS analysis might be useful for studying structural changes of peptides and proteins caused by phospholipid micelles. It could also be applied to membrane-bound proteins to characterize their structure.