Fragmentation features of intermolecular cross‐linked peptides using N‐hydroxy‐ succinimide esters by MALDI‐ and ESI‐MS/MS for use in structural proteomics

The use of mass spectrometry coupled with chemical cross‐linking of proteins has become one of the most useful tools for proteins structure and interactions studies. One of the challenges in these studies is the identification of the cross‐linked peptides. The interpretation of the MS/MS data generated in cross‐linking experiments using N‐hydroxy succinimide esters is not trivial once a new amide bond is formed allowing new fragmentation pathways, unlike linear peptides. Intermolecular cross‐linked peptides occur when two different peptides are connected by the cross‐linker and they yield information on the spatial proximity of different domains (within a protein) or proteins (within a complex). In this article, we report a detailed fragmentation study of intermolecular cross‐linked peptides, generated from a set of synthetic peptides, using both ESI and MALDI to generate the precursor ions. The fragmentation features observed here can be helpful in the interpretation and identification of cross‐linked peptides present in cross‐linking experiments and be further implemented in search engine's algorithms. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relationships between molecular structure and thermomechanical properties of bio‐based thermosetting polymers

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study highly cross‐linked epoxy networks comprised of furanyl epoxy monomer, 2,5‐bis[(2‐oxiranylmethoxy)methyl]‐furan (BOF), that is cross‐linked by two furanyl amine hardeners, 5,5'‐methylenedifurfurylamine (DFDA) and 5,5'‐ethylidenedifurfirylamine (CH₃‐DFDA). Important properties of these fully furan‐based systems, including room temperature density, glass transition temperature, and Young's modulus are found to agree with previous experimental results. We also compare the simulated and experimental values of four fully furan‐based thermosetting materials to those using the conventional resin diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) cured with the two furanyl hardeners. Our simulation results predict a slight decrease in density and Young's modulus, but no impact on the glass transition temperature, upon adding the methyl group in DFDA. Detailed analyses of the MD trajectories reveal the underlying mechanisms responsible for the observed structure/property relations, which center on the lack of collinear covalent bonds in the BOF molecular structure. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 285–292     

sp2‐Iminosugar O‐, S‐, and N‐Glycosides as Conformational Mimics of α‐Linked Disaccharides; Implications for Glycosidase Inhibition

The synthesis of mimics of the α(1→6)‐ and α(1→4)‐linked disaccharides isomaltose and maltose featuring a bicyclic sp²‐iminosugar nonreducing moiety O‐, S‐, or N‐linked to a glucopyranoside residue is reported. The strong generalized anomeric effect operating in sp²‐iminosugars determines the α‐stereochemical outcome of the glycosylation reactions, independent of the presence or not of participating protecting groups and of the nature of the heteroatom. It also imparts chemical stability to the resulting aminoacetal, aminothioacetal, or gem‐diamine functionalities. All the three isomaltose mimics behave as potent and very selective inhibitors of isomaltase and maltase, two α‐glucosidases that bind the parent disaccharides either as substrate or inhibitor. In contrast, large differences in the inhibitory properties were observed among the maltose mimics, with the O‐linked derivative being a more potent inhibitor than the N‐linked analogue; the S‐linked pseudodisaccharide did not inhibit either of the two target enzymes. A comparative conformational analysis based on NMR and molecular modelling revealed remarkable differences in the flexibility about the glycosidic linkage as a function of the nature of the linking atom in this series. Thus, the N‐pseudodisaccharide is more rigid than the O‐linked derivative, which exhibits conformational properties very similar to those of the natural maltose. The analogous pseudothiomaltoside is much more flexible than the N‐ or O‐linked derivatives, and can access a broader area of the conformational space, which probably implies a strong entropic penalty upon binding to the enzymes. Together, the present results illustrate the importance of taking conformational aspects into consideration in the design of functional oligosaccharide mimetics.     

Ruthenium coordination preferences in imidazole‐containing systems revealed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and molecular modeling: Possible cues for the surprising stability of the Ru (III)/tris (hydroxymethyl)‐aminomethane/imidazole complexes

Ruthenium is a platinoid that exhibits a range of unique chemical properties in solution, which are exploited in a variety of applications, including luminescent probes, anticancer therapies, and artificial photosynthesis. This paper focuses on a recently demonstrated ability of this metal in its +3 oxidation state to form highly stable complexes with tris (hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (H₂NC(CH₂OH)₃, Tris‐base or T) and imidazole (Im) ligands, where a single Ru^III cation is coordinated by two molecules of each T and Im. High‐resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) is used to characterize Ru^III complexes formed by placing a Ru^II complex [(NH₃)₅Ru^IICl]Cl in a Tris buffer under aerobic conditions. The most abundant ionic species in ESI MS represent mononuclear complexes containing an oxidized form of the metal, ie, [X_nRu^IIIT₂ – 2H]⁺, where X could be an additional T (n = 1) or NH₃ (n = 0‐2). Di‐ and tri‐metal complexes also give rise to a series of abundant ions, with the highest mass ion representing a metal complex with an empirical formula Ru₃C₂₄O₂₁N₆H₆₆ (interpreted as cyclo(T₂RuO)₃, a cyclic oxo‐bridged structure, where the coordination sphere of each metal is completed by two T ligands). The empirical formulae of the binuclear species are consistent with the structures representing acyclic fragments of cyclo(T₂RuO)₃ with addition of various combinations of ammonia and dioxygen as ligands. Addition of histidine in large molar excess to this solution results in complete disassembly of poly‐nuclear complexes and gives rise to a variety of ionic species in the ESI mass spectrum with a general formula [Ru^IIIHis_kT_m (NH₃)_n ? 2H]⁺, where k = 0 to 2, m = 0 to 3, and n = 0 to 4. Ammonia adducts are present for all observed combinations of k and m, except k = m = 2, suggesting that [His₂Ru^IIIT₂ ? 2H]⁺ represents a complex with a fully completed coordination sphere. The observed cornucopia of Ru^III complexes formed in the presence of histidine is in stark contrast to the previously reported selective reactivity of imidazole, which interacts with the metal by preserving the RuT₂ core and giving rise to a single abundant ruthenium complex (represented by [Im₂Ru^IIIT₂ ? 2H]⁺ in ESI mass spectra). Surprisingly, the behavior of a hexa‐histidine peptide (HHHHHH) is similar to that of a single imidazole, rather than a single histidine amino acid: The RuT₂ core is preserved, with the following ionic species observed in ESI mass spectra: [HHHHHH·(Ru^IIIT₂)_m ? (3m‐1)H]⁺ (m = 1‐3). The remarkable selectivity of the imidazole interaction with the Ru^IIIT₂ core is rationalized using energetic considerations at the quantum mechanical level of theory.     

A Covalent Reporter of β‐Lactamase Activity for Fluorescent Imaging and Rapid Screening of Antibiotic‐Resistant Bacteria

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics poses a great clinical challenge in fighting serious infectious diseases due to complicated resistant mechanisms and time‐consuming testing methods. Chemical reaction‐directed covalent labeling of resistance‐associated bacterial proteins in the context of a complicated environment offers great opportunity for the in‐depth understanding of the biological basis conferring drug resistance, and for the development of effective diagnostic approaches. In the present study, three fluorogenic reagents LRBL1–3 for resistant bacteria labeling have been designed and prepared on the basis of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The hydrolyzed probes could act as reactive electrophiles to attach the enzyme, β‐lactamase, and thus facilitated the covalent labeling of drug resistant bacterial strains. SDS electrophoresis and MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry characterization confirmed that these probes were sensitive and specific to β‐lactamase and could therefore serve for covalent and localized fluorescence labeling of the enzyme structure. Moreover, this β‐lactamase‐induced covalent labeling provides quantitative analysis of the resistant bacterial population (down to 5 %) by high resolution flow cytometry, and allows single‐cell detection and direct observation of bacterial enzyme activity in resistant pathogenic species. This approach offers great promise for clinical investigations and microbiological research.     

Dissociation behavior of a bifunctional tempo‐active ester reagent for peptide structure analysis by free radical initiated peptide sequencing (FRIPS) mass spectrometry

We have synthesized a homobifunctional active ester cross‐linking reagent containing a TEMPO (2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxy) moiety connected to a benzyl group (Bz), termed TEMPO‐Bz‐linker. The aim for designing this novel cross‐linker was to facilitate MS analysis of cross‐linked products by free radical initiated peptide sequencing (FRIPS). The TEMPO‐Bz‐linker was reacted with all 20 proteinogenic amino acids as well as with model peptides to gain detailed insights into its fragmentation mechanism upon collision activation. The final goal of this proof‐of‐principle study was to evaluate the potential of the TEMPO‐Bz‐linker for chemical cross‐linking studies to derive 3D‐structure information of proteins. Our studies were motivated by the well documented instability of the central NO―C bond of TEMPO‐Bz reagents upon collision activation. The fragmentation of this specific bond was investigated in respect to charge states and amino acid composition of a large set of precursor ions resulting in the identification of two distinct fragmentation pathways. Molecular ions with highly basic residues are able to keep the charge carriers located, i.e. protons or sodium cations, and consequently decompose via a homolytic cleavage of the NO―C bond of the TEMPO‐Bz‐linker. This leads to the formation of complementary open‐shell peptide radical cations, while precursor ions that are protonated at the TEMPO‐Bz‐linker itself exhibit a charge‐driven formation of even‐electron product ions upon collision activation. MS³ product ion experiments provided amino acid sequence information and allowed determining the cross‐linking site. Our study fully characterizes the CID behavior of the TEMPO‐Bz‐linker and demonstrates its potential, but also its limitations for chemical cross‐linking applications utilizing the special features of open‐shell peptide ions on the basis of selective tandem MS analysis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reactivity of 4‐thiothymidine with Fenton reagent investigated by UV‐visible spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

The reactivity of the sulfur‐containing nucleoside 4‐thio‐(2′‐deoxy)‐thymidine usually abbreviated as 4‐thio‐thymidine, (S⁴‐TdR) under Fenton conditions, ie, in the presence of H₂O₂ and catalytic amounts of Fe(II), was investigated by UV‐vis spectroscopy and electrospray ionization single and tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS and MS/MS). S⁴‐TdR hydroxylated on the S atom was found to be a key reaction intermediate, ultimately leading to (2′‐deoxy)‐thymidine usually abbreviated as thymidine, (TdR) as the main reaction product. This finding was in accordance with the outcome of the reaction between S⁴‐TdR and H₂O₂, previously investigated in our laboratory. On the other hand, the additional presence of ?OH radicals, induced by the Fe(II)/H₂O₂ combination, led to the increased generation of another interesting S⁴‐TdR product, already observed after its reaction with H₂O₂ alone, ie, the covalent dimer including a S? S bridge between two S⁴‐TdR molecules. More importantly, multihydroxylated derivatives of S⁴‐TdR and TdR were detected as peculiar products obtained under Fenton conditions. Among them, a product bearing an OH group both on the methyl group linked to the thymine ring and on the C5 atom of the ring was found to prevail. The results obtained during this study, integrated by those found previously in our laboratory, indicate 4‐thiothymidine as a promising molecular probe for the recognition, through a careful characterization of its reaction products, of the prevailing species among reactive oxygen species (ROS) corresponding to singlet‐state oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxylic radical.     

Detection and structural features of the βB2‐B3‐crystallin heterodimer by radical probe mass spectrometry (RP‐MS)

The predilection of the β‐crystallin B2 subunit to interact with the βB3 subunit rather than self associate is evident by the detection of the βB2‐B3‐crystallin heterodimer by native gel electrophoresis and electrospray ionisation time‐of‐flight (ESI‐TOF) mass spectrometry under non denaturing conditions. The complex has been detected for the first time and its molecular mass is measured to be 47 450 ± 1 Da. Radical probe mass spectrometry (RP‐MS) was subsequently applied to investigate the nature of the heterodimer through the limited oxidation of the subunits in the complex. Two peptide segments of the βB2 subunit and six of the βB3 subunit were found to oxidise, with far greater oxidation observed within the βB3 versus the βB2 subunit. This, and the observation that the oxidation data of βB2 subunit is inconsistent with the structure of the βB2 monomer, demonstrates that the protection of βB2 is conferred by its association with βB3 subunit within the heterodimer where only the residues of, and towards, its N‐terminal domain remain exposed to solvent. The results suggest that the βB2 subunit adopts a more compacted form than in its monomeric form in order for much of its structure to be enveloped by the βB3 subunit within the heterodimer. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous analysis by Quadrupole‐Orbitrap mass spectrometry and UHPLC‐MS/MS for the determination of sedative‐hypnotics and sleep inducers in adulterated products

Adulterated products are continuously detected in society and cause problems. In this study, we developed and validated a method for determining synthetic sedative‐hypnotics and sleep inducers, including barbital, benzodiazepam, zolpidem, and first‐generation antihistamines, in adulterated products using Quadrupole‐Orbitrap mass spectrometry and ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. In Quadrupole‐Orbitrap mass spectrometry analysis, target compounds were confirmed using a combination of retention time, mass tolerance, mass accuracy, and fragment ions. For quantification, several validation parameters were employed using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation was 0.05–53 and 0.17–177 ng/mL, respectively. The correlation coefficient for linearity was more than 0.995. The intra‐ and interassay accuracies were 86–110 and 84–111%, respectively. Their precision values were evaluated as within 4.0 (intraday) and 10.7% (interday). Mean recoveries of target compounds in adulterated products ranged from 85 to 116%. The relative standard deviation of stability was less than 10.7% at 4°C for 48 h. The 144 adulterated products obtained over 3 years (2014–2016) from online and in‐person vendors were tested using established methods. After rapidly screening with Quadrupole‐Orbitrap mass spectrometry, the detected samples were quantified using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Two of them were adulterated with phenobarbital.     

Protein structure and dynamics studied by mass spectrometry: H/D exchange, hydroxyl radical labeling, and related approaches

Mass spectrometry (MS) plays a central role in studies on protein structure and dynamics. This review highlights some of the recent developments in this area, with focus on applications involving the use of electrospray ionization (ESI) MS. Although this technique involves the transformation of analytes into highly nonphysiological species (desolvated gas-phase ions in the vacuum), ESI-MS can provide detailed insights into the solution-phase behavior of proteins. Notably, the ionization process itself occurs in a structurally sensitive manner. An increased degree of solution-phase unfolding is correlated with a higher level of protonation. Also, ESI allows the transfer of intact noncovalent complexes into the gas phase, thereby yielding information on binding partners, stoichiometries, and even affinities. A particular focus of this article is the use of hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) methods and hydroxyl radical (.OH) labeling for monitoring dynamic and structural aspect of solution-phase proteins. Conceptual similarities and differences between the two methods are discussed. We describe a simple method for the computational simulation of protein HDX patterns, a tool that can be helpful for the interpretation of isotope exchange data recorded under mixed EX1/EX2 conditions. Important aspects of .OH labeling include a striking dependence on protein concentration, and the tendency of commonly used solvent additives to act as highly effective radical scavengers. If not properly controlled, both of these factors may lead to experimental artifacts.     

Comprehensive identification and structural characterization of target components from Gelsemium elegans by high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry based on accurate mass databases combined with MS/MS spectra

This study reports an applicable analytical strategy of comprehensive identification and structure characterization of target components from Gelsemium elegans by using high‐performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (LC‐QqTOF MS) based on the use of accurate mass databases combined with MS/MS spectra. The databases created included accurate masses and elemental compositions of 204 components from Gelsemium and their structural data. The accurate MS and MS/MS spectra were acquired through data‐dependent auto MS/MS mode followed by an extraction of the potential compounds from the LC‐QqTOF MS raw data of the sample. The same was matched using the databases to search for targeted components in the sample. The structures for detected components were tentatively characterized by manually interpreting the accurate MS/MS spectra for the first time. A total of 57 components have been successfully detected and structurally characterized from the crude extracts of G. elegans , but has failed to differentiate some isomers. This analytical strategy is generic and efficient, avoids isolation and purification procedures, enables a comprehensive structure characterization of target components of Gelsemium and would be widely applicable for complicated mixtures that are derived from Gelsemium preparations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identification of isomeric 5‐hydroxytryptophan‐ and oxindolylalanine‐containing peptides by mass spectrometry

Cells continuously produce reactive oxidative species that can modify all cellular components. In proteins, for example, cysteine, methionine, tryptophan (Trp), and tyrosine residues are particularly prone to oxidation. Here, we report two new approaches to distinguish two isomeric oxidation products of Trp residues, i.e. 5‐hydroxytryptophan (5‐HTP) and oxindolylalanine (Oia) residues, in peptides. First, 2‐nitrobenzenesulfenyl chloride, known to derivatize Trp residues in position 2 of the indole ring, was used to label 5‐HTP residues. The mass shift of 152.98 m/z units allowed identifying 5‐HTP‐ besides Trp‐containing peptides by mass spectrometry, whereas Oia residues were not labeled. Second, fragmentation of the Oia‐ and 5‐HTP‐derived immonium ions at m/z 175.08 produced ions characteristic for each residue that allowed their identification even in the presence of y₁ ions at m/z 175.12 derived from peptides with C‐terminal arginine residues. The pseudo MS³ spectra acquired on a quadrupole time‐of‐flight hybrid mass spectrometer displayed two signals at m/z 130.05 and m/z 132.05 characteristic for Oia‐containing peptides and a group of six signals (m/z 103.04, 120.04, 130.04, 133.03, 146.04, and 148.04) for 5‐HTP‐cointaining peptides. In both cases, the relative signal intensities appeared to be independent of the sequence providing a specific fingerprint of each oxidative modification. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous quantification of N‐butylthiophosphoric triamide and dicyandiamide in urea formulation by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

A new liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method employing a mixed‐mode zwitterionic stationary phase was developed for simultaneous determination of urease inhibitor (N‐butylthiophosphoric triamide) and nitrification inhibitor (dicyandiamide) in urea fertilizer. Molecular modeling based on density functional theory calculations was employed to provide an insight into the interaction mechanism of urea, dicyandiamide, and N‐butylthiophosphoric triamide with zwitterionic stationary phase in chromatographic separation system. The detection of analytes was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer in multiple reaction monitoring mode using positive electrospray ionization. The ion transitions monitored were m/z 85→68 for dicyandiamide and m/z 168.2→74 for N‐butylthiophosphoric triamide, respectively. The standard calibration curves of dicyandiamide and N‐butylthiophosphoric triamide were linear over the range of 1.0 ? 15 ppm (coefficient of determination = 0.9984), 0.05 ? 1 ppm (coefficient of determination = 0.9995), with limit of detection of 25 and 5 ppb, respectively. The recoveries of low, middle, and high concentrations were from 96.7 to 105.8% for N‐butylthiophosphoric triamide and 94.4 to 105.8% for dicyandiamide with accuracy (relative error %) of ≤5.8% and ≤5.8%, the precision (coefficients of variation) was ≤2.0% and ≤2.9%, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied on real urea samples to determine N‐butylthiophosphoric triamide and dicyandiamide simultaneously.     

Characterization and tentative identification of new flunitrazepam metabolites in authentic human urine specimens using liquid chromatography‐Q exactive‐HF hybrid quadrupole‐Orbitrap‐mass spectrometry (LC‐QE‐HF‐MS)

Flunitrazepam (FNZ) is a potent hypnotic, sedative, and amnestic drug used to treat severe insomnia. In our recent study, FNZ metabolic profiles were investigated carefully. Six authentic human urine samples were purified using solid phase extraction (SPE) without enzymatic hydrolysis, and urine extracts were then analyzed by liquid chromatography‐Q exactive‐HF hybrid quadrupole‐Orbitrap‐mass spectrometry (LC‐QE‐HF‐MS), using the full scan positive ion mode and targeted MS/MS (ddms2) technique to make accurate mass measurements. There were 25 metabolites, including 13 phase I and 12 phase II metabolites, which were detected and tentatively identified by LC‐QE‐HF‐MS. In addition, nine previously unreported phase II glucuronide conjugates and four phase I metabolites are reported here for the first time. Eight metabolic pathways, including N‐reduction and O‐reduction, N‐glucuronidation, O‐glucuronidation, mono‐hydroxylation and di‐hydroxylation, demethylation, acetylation, and combinations, were implicated in this work, and 2‐O‐reduction together with dihydroxylation were two novel metabolic pathways for FNZ that were identified tentatively. Although 7‐amino FNZ is widely considered to be the primary metabolite, a previously unreported metabolites (M12) can also serve as a potential biomarker for FNZ misuse.     

Compositional and structural characterization of alloyed carbide by 3D atom probe and high‐resolution TEM

During tempering of solute supersaturated ferrous martensite, the face‐centered cubic MC‐type carbides (M is alloy elements) such as VC and NbC phases usually co‐precipitate on crystal defects such as dislocation and take on plate‐like morphology. Over‐tempering makes the plate‐like shape change to spherical shape because of Ostwald coarsening. The coarsening process strongly correlates to the diffusion behaviors of the carbon and carbide‐forming elements, and consequently inhomogeneous compositional and structural distribution in the carbides is formed. Three‐dimensional atom probe and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy have been proved useful methods to characterize the composition, morphology and nanostructure of the carbides that precipitate in a quench‐tempered micro‐alloyed steel. Depending on the actual affinity with C and the diffusion behavior, Si and Al are rejected from the alloy carbide, whereas Mn, V and Nb are inhomogeneously enriched in it. The morphology and structure change with the compositional redistribution. During the coarsening process of the pre‐existing plate‐like carbide, transition carbide that is semi‐coherent with ferritic matrix is formed because of the disparity in diffusion ratio of different solutes. A core–shell complex nanostructure is consequently formed in the coarsening carbide, and the core and shell are identified as V₈C₇ enriched in Mn, Mo and Mo₂C, respectively. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Calculation of CLD Using Population Balance Equations of Generating Functions: Linear and Non‐Linear Ideal Controlled Radical Polymerization

Population balance equations in terms of generating functions (GF) are used to predict chain length distributions (CLD) of linear and non‐linear ideal controlled radical polymerization (CRP) systems. It is here shown that under simplified conditions analytical solutions for the CLD can be found and moreover the fundamental CLD derived by H. Tobita in 2006 is a limiting case of the more general solutions here presented. In order to deal with more complex CRP systems, solutions based upon the numerical inversion of GF are presented. These studies are also extended to the non‐linear CRP of vinyl/divinyl monomers where multimodal CLDs are predicted to occur.

     

Aromatic Nitrogen Mustard‐Based Prodrugs: Activity,Selectivity, and the Mechanism of DNA Cross‐Linking

Three novel H₂O₂‐activated aromatic nitrogen mustard prodrugs ( 6 – 8 ) are reported. These compounds contain a DNA alkylating agent connected to a H₂O₂‐responsive trigger by different electron‐withdrawing linkers so that they are inactive towards DNA but can be triggered by H₂O₂ to release active species. The activity and selectivity of these compounds towards DNA were investigated by measuring DNA interstrand cross‐link (ICL) formation in the presence or absence of H₂O₂. An electron‐withdrawing linker unit, such as a quaternary ammonia salt ( 6 ), a carboxyamide ( 7 ), and a carbonate group ( 8 ), is sufficient to deactivate the aromatic nitrogen mustard resulting in less than 1.5 % cross‐linking formation. However, H₂O₂ can restore the activity of the effectors by converting a withdrawing group to a donating group, therefore increasing the cross‐linking efficiency (>20 %). The stability and reaction sites of the ICL products were determined, which revealed that alkylation induced by 7 and 8 not only occurred at the purine sites but also at the pyrimidine site. For the first time, we isolated and characterized the monomer adducts formed between the canonical nucleosides and the aromatic nitrogen mustard ( 15 ) which supported that nitrogen mustards reacted with dG, dA, and dC. The activation mechanism was studied by NMR spectroscopic analysis. An in vitro cytotoxicity assay demonstrated that compound 7 with a carboxyamide linker dramatically inhibited the growth of various cancer cells with a GI₅₀ of less than 1 μM , whereas compound 6 with a charged linker did not show any obvious toxicity in all cell lines tested. These data indicated that a neutral carboxyamide linker is preferable for developing nitrogen mustard prodrugs. Our results showed that 7 is a potent anticancer prodrug that can serve as a model compound for further development. We believe these novel aromatic nitrogen mustards will inspire further and effective applications.     

Mass spectrometry of rhenium complexes: a comparative study by using LDI‐MS,MALDI‐MS,PESI‐MS and ESI‐MS

A group of rhenium (I) complexes including in their structure ligands such as CF₃SO₃‐, CH₃CO₂‐, CO, 2,2′‐bipyridine, dipyridil[3,2‐a:2′3′‐c]phenazine, naphthalene‐2‐carboxylate, anthracene‐9‐carboxylate, pyrene‐1‐carboxylate and 1,10‐phenanthroline have been studied for the first time by mass spectrometry. The probe electrospray ionization (PESI) is a technique based on electrospray ionization (ESI) that generates electrospray from the tip of a solid metal needle. In this work, mass spectra for organometallic complexes obtained by PESI were compared with those obtained by classical ESI and high flow rate electrospray ionization assisted by corona discharge (HF‐ESI‐CD), an ideal method to avoid decomposition of the complexes and to induce their oxidation to yield intact molecular cation radicals in gas state [M]^+. and to produce their reduction yielding the gas species [M]^–.. It was found that both techniques showed in general the intact molecular ions of the organometallics studied and provided additional structure characteristic diagnostic fragments. As the rhenium complexes studied in the present work showed strong absorption in the UV–visible region, particularly at 355 nm, laser desorption ionization (LDI) mass spectrometry experiments could be conducted. Although intact molecular ions could be detected in a few cases, LDI mass spectra showed diagnostic fragments for characterization of the complexes structure. Furthermore, matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectra were obtained. Nor‐harmane, a compound with basic character, was used as matrix, and the intact molecular ions were detected in two examples, in negative ion mode as the [M]^–. species. Results obtained with 2‐[(2E)‐3‐(4‐tert‐buthylphenyl)‐2‐methylprop‐2‐enylidene] malononitrile (DCTB) as matrix are also described. LDI experiments provided more information about the rhenium complex structures than did the MALDI ones. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.