Characterization of complexes formed by polypropylene imine dendrimers and anti-HIV oligonucleotides

Current anti-HIV therapies are capable of controlling viral infection but do not represent a definitive cure. They rely on the administration of antiretroviral nucleoside analogues, either alone or in combination with vectors. Dendrimers are branched, synthetic polymers with layered architectures, promising non-viral vectors in gene therapy. The aim of the paper was to study the interactions between three anti-HIV antisense oligonucleotides (ODNs): SREV, ANTI TAR, GEM91 and different generation polypropylene imine dendrimers (PPI) by monitoring changes in the fluorescence polarization of fluorescein attached to the ends of the ODNs when increasing concentrations of dendrimers were added. Laser Doppler electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize, respectively, zeta potential, particle size and morphology of dendriplexes formed in different molar ratios. Antisense oligonucleotides interacted with polypropylene imine dendrimers in different molar ratios depending on generation. Zeta potential of dendriplexes varied from (-25 to -21) mV to -5 mV (for PPIG3 and PPIG4 complexes) and to zero (for PPIG2 complexes). The structures presented a polydisperse size from about 50 nm to even 700-800 nm by TEM and about 250 nm by DLS. It means that besides single dendriplexes, aggregates were also present.     

Structure and stability of ammonium-sulfate and guanidium-sulfate complex

Ab initio (HF/6-31G^** and B3LYP/6-31 + + G^**) methods have been used to study the stability and structure of complexes between CH₃SO⁻₃ and CH₃NH⁺₃ or C(NH₂)⁺₃. Results show that no hydrogen jump is involved in the complex formations, which is different from previous work studying complexes between CH₃COO⁻ and CH₃NH⁺₃. In addition, we have studied complexes between CH₃SO⁻₃ and HC(NH₂)⁺₃ or ⁺H₃NC(NH₂)₃, all of which have a cage structure.     

Composition and stability of the mixed complex formed by neodymium with eth ylenediamine tetraacetic acid and tartaric acid

Russian Chemical Bulletin -     

Sugar radicals formed by photoexcitation of guanine cation radical in oligonucleotides

This work presents evidence that photoexcitation of guanine cation radical (G+*) in dGpdG and DNA-oligonucleotides TGT, TGGT, TGGGT, TTGTT, TTGGTT, TTGGTTGGTT, AGA, and AGGGA in frozen glassy aqueous solutions at low temperatures leads to hole transfer to the sugar phosphate backbone and results in high yields of deoxyribose radicals. In this series of oligonucleotides, we find that G+* on photoexcitation at 143 K leads to the formation of predominantly C5'* and C1'* with small amounts of C3'*. Photoconversion yields of G+* to sugar radicals in oligonucleotides decreased as the overall chain length increased. However, for high molecular weight dsDNA (salmon testes) in frozen aqueous solutions, substantial conversion of G+* to C1'* (only) sugar radical is still found (ca. 50%). Within the cohort of sugar radicals formed, we find a relative increase in the formation of C1'* with length of the oligonucleotide, along with decreases in C3'* and C5'*. For dsDNA in frozen solutions, only the formation of C1'* is found via photoexcitation of G+*, without a significant temperature dependence (77-180 K). Long wavelength visible light (>540 nm) is observed to be about as effective as light under 540 nm for photoconversion of G+* to sugar radicals for short oligonucleotides but gradually loses effectiveness with chain length. This wavelength dependence is attributed to base-to-base hole transfer for wavelengths >540 nm. Base-to-sugar hole transfer is suggested to dominate under 540 nm. These results may have implications for a number of investigations of hole transfer through DNA in which DNA holes are subjected to continuous visible illumination.     

Investigation of the stability of oligonucleotides and oligodinucleotides

The mutually-consistent-field (MCF) method together with pseudo polarization tensors has been employed to investigate in detail the intra- and inter-strand interactions in B-DNA helices. Results are reported for all four periodic homo-oligonucleotides showing that these configurations are stable only in the case of adenine and thymine. All the oligodinucleotides studied are stable, but the role of the different contributions, e.g. the two intrastrand and the interstrand interactions is dependent on the nucleotide bases. In the case of periodic guanine-cytosine base pairs, the interstrand energy is dominant, whereas in the corresponding alternating systems all three contributions are attractive. The stability of adenine-thymine systems is less sensitive with respect to periodic and alternating compositions.     

Structure, spectra and stability of a tetrafluoromethane-water complex

The complex formed between water and tetrafluoromethane has been studied by infrared matrix isolation spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. The geometries of the CF4-H2O complexes were optimized in two steps at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. The structure found at this level was reoptimized on the CP-corrected potential energy surface. The interaction energy was partitioned according to the SAPT scheme and the topological analysis of the electron density was performed. The optimized structure corresponds to the nonhydrogen bonded complex with an oxygen atom of water oriented toward the carbon atom of CF4. The infrared spectra of CF4-H2O /Ne(Ar) matrices demonstrate the presence of a well defined CF4-H2O structure in accord with theoretical prediction. Two complex vibrations were identified in the spectra of neon matrices and four vibrations were observed in the spectra of argon matrices. The available experimental data are in accord with the CP-corrected calculated data.     

Synthesis and properties of the molecular complex formed by tetrabromotetraazaporphyrin with bromine

Magnesium complex of tetraazaporphyrin reacted with bromine in glacial acetic acid to give a 1:2 molecular adduct of tetrabromotetraazaporphyrin with bromine. The stability of the adduct in media of different polarities was studied. Zinc complex of tetrabromotetraazaporphyrin was synthesized by reaction of the molecular adduct with zinc acetate in dimethylformamide at 20°C.     

Structure of the 1:2 complex formed by the cis-anti-cis diastereomer of dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 with 2-methylbenzenesulfamide

Applied Physics Institute, Moldovian Academy of Sciences. Technical Physics Institute, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Zhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 138–144, March–April, 1992.     

Thermal stability of proton-conducting silicophosphate materials formed by sol-gel method

Russian Journal of Electrochemistry - This work estimated ionic conductivity and studied thermal stability of proton-conducting xerogel materials and films formed from sol-gel system based on...