Geometric structure determination of N694C lipoxygenase: a comparative near-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy and extended X-ray absorption fine structure study

The mononuclear nonheme iron active site of N694C soybean lipoxygenase (sLO1) has been investigated in the resting ferrous form using a combination of Fe-K-pre-edge, near-edge (using the minuit X-ray absorption near-edge full multiple-scattering approach), and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) methods. The results indicate that the active site is six-coordinate (6C) with a large perturbation in the first-shell bond distances in comparison to the more ordered octahedral site in wild-type sLO1. Upon mutation of the asparagine to cysteine, the short Fe-O interaction with asparagine is replaced by a weak Fe-(H(2)O), which leads to a distorted 6C site with an effective 5C ligand field. In addition, it is shown that near-edge multiple scattering analysis can give important three-dimensional structural information, which usually cannot be accessed using EXAFS analysis. It is further shown that, relative to EXAFS, near-edge analysis is more sensitive to partial coordination numbers and can be potentially used as a tool for structure determination in a mixture of chemical species.     

Thermotropic ionic liquid crystals of pyridinium octylphosphate A N.M.R. and X-ray study

Abstract

A thermotropic ionic lamellar phase from non-stoichiometric pyridinium octyl-phosphates has been investigated by multinuclear N.M.R. and X-ray diffraction. At room temperature and above, this phase is formed for pyridine to octylphosphoric acid molar ratios from 0.2 to 0.8.²H and ¹³C relaxation experiments show that the pyridinium ion undergoes a very anisotropic motion with D_zz > D_xx ? D_yy, z and x being the perpendicular direction to the ring and the c ₂ symmetry axis, respectively. The order parameters given by the ²H quadrupolar splittings and the ¹³C chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) are S_zz = 0.13, S_yy = -0.08 and S_xx = -0.05, showing that the pyridinium ring is preferentially oriented parallel to the lamellar plane. The ³¹P CSA and the C1-P dipolar splitting yield S_zz = 0.33 and S_xx ? S_yy for the octylphosphate anion. The order parameters of alkyl C-H bonds have been obtained from the J resolved two-dimensional ¹³C N.M.R. spectra of oriented samples. Two limiting conformational models have been considered to calculate the S _CH. One of them is reasonably consistent with the structure derived from X-ray experiments and has been used to calculate the dipolar ³¹P relaxation. Taking into account the CSA contribution, the relaxation measurements performed at 36, 121 and 202 MHz show that the octylphosphate anion undergoes a quasi-axial reorientation about the long molecular axis x with D∥/D⊥ = 4 and D⊥ ? 10⁷ rad/s at 300 K.     

X-ray structure study of ranaconitine hydrobromide

Ranaconitine is an important diterpenoid alkaloid from Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai. The absolute configuration of natural ranaconitine was determined through an X-ray structure analysis of hydrated ranaconitine hydrobromide. The crystal presents a monoclinic system, space group P2(1) with Z?=?2, unit cell dimensions: a?=?10.6604(12)??, b?=?12.3674(14)??, c?=?12.2938(13)?? and β?=?91.056(2)°. The chirality of the asymmetric carbon atoms was as follows: C10(S), C13(S), C14(S), C15(S), C16(S), C17(R), C23(S), C25(R), C26(S), C27(S), C28(S) and C30(S). Moreover, a complex network of hydrogen bonds occurred between neighbouring molecules.     

X-ray studies on layer structure and bistability in ferroelectric liquid crystals

X-ray diffraction measurements of thin chiral smectic C (S_c*) liquid crystals between solid plates coated with rubbed polymer film were performed under an electric field. A variety of local layer structures which depend upon the boundary conditions could be observed, including bookshelf and chevron, and some distorted structures. Moreover, the method of layer deformation could be seen in a stepwise induced field, and seven deformation types could be detected. The relation between a bistability effect and the type of layer deformation was clarified and four deformation types were found favourable to bistability. A vertical layer structure at the boundary, like the bookshelf structure, was necessary to produce bistability. A high pretilt film seemed to have a smectic layer reform a tilted structure even under an induced field and it was difficult to produce bistability with the high pretilt one.     

Theoretical study of near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectra of metal phthalocyanines at C and N K-edges

The inner shell excitation of CuPc, NiPc, and H(2)Pc phthalocyanines at both C and N K-edges has been investigated theoretically by density functional theory calculations. The selected molecules allow one to study the effect on the spectra of the presence and the nature of the atom in the central cavity of the macrocycle. The individual characteristics of the spectra can be rationalized in terms of the position of the unequivalent C and N atomic sites, showing that sensible changes are present in the spectral features deriving from the N atoms directly bound to the atom at the center of the Pc macrocycle. The minor variations present in the spectral C 1s profiles of the phthalocyanines reflect the little perturbation experienced by the peripheral atomic sites.