Modes of conformational changes of proteins adsorbed on a planar hydrophobic polymer surface reflecting their adsorption behaviors

Infrared spectra of hen egg white lysozyme and bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorbed on a solid poly tris(trimethylsiloxy)silylstyrene (pTSS) surface in D2O solution were measured using attenuated total reflection (ATR) Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. From the area and shape of the amide I' band of each spectrum, the adsorption amount and the secondary structure were determined simultaneously, as a function of adsorption time. We could show that the average conformation for all the adsorbed lysozyme molecules was solely determined by the adsorption time, and independent of the bulk concentration, while the adsorption amount increased with the bulk concentration as well as the adsorption time. These results suggest that lysozyme molecules form discrete assemblies on the surface, and that the surface assemblies grow over several hours to have a definite architecture independent of the adsorption amount. As for BSA, the extent of the conformational change was solely determined by the adsorption amount, regardless of the bulk concentration and the adsorption time. These differences in the adsorption properties of lysozyme and BSA may reflect differences in their conformational stabilities.     

Release kinetics of nicotinamide from fatty acid-nicotinamide equimolar complexes. II. Activation thermodynamic quantities.

The rates of release of nicotinamide (NAA) from fatty acid (FA)-NAA complexes, FA-NAA, were determined at various temperatures, and the thermodynamic quantities for the release of NAA were estimated. The results were compared with the previous results obtained for FA-thiamine disulfide (TDS) complexes, (FA)6(TDS). The values of activation enthalpy (delta H ++) and activation entropy (delta S ++) for the release of NAA from FA-NAA were positive and negative, respectively, indicating that the release of NAA is disadvantageous from not only enthalpic but also entropic viewpoints. The plots of delta H++ against the carbon number (n) in the constituent FA showed a zig-zag line with an upward convex at an odd-numbered position and the plots of the absolute values of (-delta S++) showed a zig-zag line with a downward convex at an odd-numbered position, though the positive value of delta H++ increases and the negative value of delta S++ decreases with an increasing n for either even-numbered or odd-numbered FA. It was found that the release of NAA from FA-NAA formed with odd-numbered FA is more disadvantageous enthalpically but more advantageous entropically as compared with that from FA-NAA formed with even-numbered FA. This phenomenon was similar to that observed for (FA)6(TDS). Furthermore, it is suggested that FA-NAA is formed at least by van der Waals forces and hydrophobic interactions and that van der Waals forces are dominant for the formation of FA-NAA formed with odd-numbered FA and that hydrophobic interactions are dominant for the formation of FA-NAA formed with even-numbered FA.     

Ga-labeling of immunoglobulin G with high specific radioactivity

To obtain radiogallium labeled immunoglobulin G with a high specific radioactivity for in vitro use, a 67Ga source was purified by extraction from 67Ga-gallium citrate with butyl acetate, and a 67Ga-labeling solution was produced. This solution was then used to label a deferoxamine-immunoglobulin G conjugate. Both a very high specific radioactivity (872 +/- 56 MBq/mg) and a high labeling efficiency (94.0%) were achieved.     

Copolyamides and copolyesters containing the phenoxasilin ring

Copolyamides and copolyesters containing the phenoxasilin ring were prepared from 2,8-dichloroformyl-10,10-diphenylphenoxasilin, isophthaloyl chloride and m-phenylenediamine or bisphenol A by interfacial polycondensation in chloroform-aqueous alkali mixture. They were obtained in yields of 80% or above and at relatively high viscosities up to 1.30 dl/g. The copolymers with high phenoxasilin content were freely soluble in dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, but decreasing phenoxasilin content led to copolymers with slight solubilities in these solvents; the copolyesters also dissolved in chloroform, m-cresol and phenol-sym tetrachloroethane (60:40 in wt%). Flexible transparent films were obtained from chloroform solutions of the copolyesters, but the films cast from DMF solutions of the copolyamides became brittle as the phenoxasilin content decreased. The phenoxasilin-containing copolymers hardly degraded below 400° and had good thermal stability. Introduction of the phenoxasilin ring into the polymer backbones by copolycondensation did not reduce thermal stability.     

ε-optimality criteria for convex programming problems via exact penalty functions

In this paper, we present-optimality criteria for convex programming problems associated with exact penalty functions. Several authors have given various criteria under the assumption that such convex problems and the associated dual problems can be solved. We assume the solvability of neither the convex problem nor the dual problem. To derive our criteria, we estimate the size of the penalty parameter in terms of an-solution for the dual problem.     

Anion binding to a ferric porphyrin complexed with per-O-methylated beta-cyclodextrin in aqueous solution

5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphinato iron(III) (Fe(III)TPPS) forms a very stable 1:2 complex with heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (TMe-beta-CD), whose iron(III) center is located at a hydrophobic cleft formed by two face-to-face TMe-beta-CD molecules. Various inorganic anions (X(-)) such as F(-), Cl(-), Br(-), I(-), N(3)(-), and SCN(-) coordinate to Fe(III)TPPS(TMe-beta-CD)(2) to form five-coordinate high-spin Fe(III)TPPS(X)(TMe-beta-CD)(2), while no coordination occurs with ClO(4)(-), H(2)PO(4)(-), NO(3)(-), and HSO(4)(-). Except for F(-), none of the anions investigated coordinate to Fe(III)TPPS in the absence of TMe-beta-CD due to extensive hydration to the anions as well as to Fe(III)TPPS. The present system shows a high selectivity toward the N(3)(-) anion. The thermodynamics suggests that Lewis basicity, hydrophilicity, and shape of an X(-) anion are the main factors to determine the stability of the Fe(III)TPPS(X)(TMe-beta-CD)(2) complex.     

Chain-growth polycondensation for well-defined aramide. Synthesis of unprecedented block copolymer containing aramide with low polydispersity

Poly(p-benzamide) with a defined molecular weight and a low polydispersity and a block copolymer containing this well-defined aramide was synthesized. Phenyl 4-aminobenzoate, which would yield poly(p-benzamide), did not polymerize under the conditions of chain-growth polycondensation. However, phenyl 4-(4-octyloxybenzylamino)benzoate (1b) polymerized at room temperature in the presence of base and phenyl 4-nitrobenzoate (2) as an initiator in a chain-growth polycondensation manner to give well-defined aromatic polyamides having the 4-octyloxybenzyl groups as a protecting group on nitrogen in an amide. It was confirmed by a model reaction that deprotection of this protecting group proceeded completely with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) without breaking the amide linkage. The utility of this approach to poly(p-benzamide) with a low polydispersity was demonstrated by the synthesis of block copolymers. Thus, phenyl 4-(octylamino)benzoate (1a) polymerized in the presence of 2 and base, followed by addition of 1b and base to the reaction mixture of the prepolymer to yield the block copolymer of 1a and 1b with a controlled molecular weight and a low polydispersity. The block copolymer was treated with TFA, resulting in a soluble block copolymer of poly(N-octyl-p-benzamide) and poly(p-benzamide). The SEM images of the supramolecular assemblies of the block copolymer showed mum-sized bundles and aggregates of flake structures.     

Three‐arm star block copolymers of aromatic polyether and polystyrene from chain‐growth condensation polymerization,atom transfer radical polymerization,and click reaction

Well‐defined (AB)₃ type star block copolymer consisting of aromatic polyether arms as the A segment and polystyrene (PSt) arms as the B segment was prepared using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), chain‐growth condensation polymerization (CGCP), and click reaction. ATRP of styrene was carried out in the presence of 2,4,6‐tris(bromomethyl)mesitylene as a trifunctional initiator, and then the terminal bromines of the polymer were transformed to azide groups with NaN₃. The azide groups were converted to 4‐fluorobenzophenone moieties as CGCP initiator units by click reaction. However, when CGCP was attempted, a small amount of unreacted initiator units remained. Therefore, the azide‐terminated PSt was then used for click reaction with alkyne‐terminated aromatic polyether, obtained by CGCP with an initiator bearing an acetylene unit. Excess alkyne‐terminated aromatic polyether was removed from the crude product by means of preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to yield the (AB)₃ type star block copolymer (M_n = 9910, M_w/M_n = 1.10). This star block copolymer, which contains aromatic polyether segments with low solubility in the shell unit, exhibited lower solubility than A₂B or AB₂ type miktoarm star copolymers. In addition, the obtained star block copolymer self‐assembled to form spherical aggregates in solution and plate‐like structures in film. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012