A racemization test in peptide synthesis using 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride (DMT-MM)

Racemization of the C-terminal amino acid (Ala) has been studied in various solvents during coupling between 4-methoxybenzyloxycarbonyl (Z(OMe))-Gly-L-Ala-OH and phenylalanine benzyl ester (H-Phe-OBzl) with 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-thiazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride (DMT-MM). The reaction occurred without substantial racemization in AcOEt, tetrahydrofuran (THF), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), CH3CN, and 2-PrOH, while a slight racemization was observed in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), EtOH, and MeOH. The extent of racemization may correlate with the polarity of the solvents.     

In situ monitoring of metal nanoparticle self-assembly on protein-functionalized glass by broadband optical waveguide spectroscopy

Broadband, time-resolved optical waveguide (OWG) spectroscopy has been used for in situ, real-time investigation into the self-assembly of metal nanoparticle monolayers. The OWG spectroscopy makes it possible to use the transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes to measure surface plasmon absorption of immobilized metal nanoparticles in two directions, parallel and normal to the waveguide surface. Therefore, this technique can provide direction-dependent information on the metal nanoparticles at the interface. In this paper, a 50-microm-thick glass plate was used as a slab waveguide and the kinetics of Au nanoparticle adsorption on a hemoglobin-functionalized glass substrate was examined in the early stage of self-assembly. The findings show that with the TE mode the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) behavior for immobilized Au nanoparticles is different from that with the TM mode.     

Stereoselective synthesis of procyanidin B3-3-O-gallate and 3,3″-di-O-gallate, and their abilities as antioxidant and DNA polymerase inhibitor

A simple method for the synthesis of procyanidin B3 substituted with a galloyl group at the 3 and 3″ position is described. Condensation of a benzylated catechin-3-O-gallate electrophile with a nucleophile, catechin and catechin-3-O-gallate, proceeded smoothly and stereoselectively to afford the corresponding dimer gallates, procyanidin B3-3-O-gallate and procyanidin B3-3,3″-di-O-gallate, in good yields. Further, their antioxidant activities on UV-induced lipid peroxide formation, DPPH radical scavenging activity and inhibitory activity of DNA polymerase were also investigated. Among three procyanidin B3 congeners (procyanidin B3, 3-O-gallate and 3,3″-di-O-gallate), the 3,3″-di-O-gallate derivative showed the strongest antioxidant and radical scavenging activity. Interestingly, the 3-O-gallate derivative was the strongest inhibitor of mammalian DNA polymerase with IC₅₀ value of 0.26 μM, although it showed the weakest antioxidant and radical scavenging activity. It became apparent that the presence of a galloyl group at the C-3 position in the proanthocyanidin oligomer was very important for biological activity, however, the antioxidant activity of these compounds was not parallel to the DNA polymerase inhibitory activity.     

Preparation and characterization of novel branched beta-cyclodextrins having beta-D-galactose residues on the non-reducing terminal of the side chains and their specific interactions with peanut (Arachis hypogaea) agglutinin

Six novel branched beta-cyclodextrins (betaCDs) having beta-D-galactose residues on the non-reducing terminal of the sugar side chains, namely 6(1),6(4)-di-O-(beta-D-galactosyl)-betaCD (10), 6-O-(beta-D-galactosyl)-betaCD (11), 6(1),6(4)-di-O-(beta-lactosyl)-betaCD (14), 6-O-(beta-lactosyl)-betaCD (15), 6(1),6(4)-di-O-(4'-O-beta-D-galactosyl-beta-lactosyl)-betaCD (18), and 6-O-(4'-O-beta-D-galactosyl-beta-lactosyl)-betaCD (19), were chemically synthesized using the trichloroacetimidate method. The reaction products were separated by HPLC on an amino column into dibranched and monobranched betaCDs. Their structures were confirmed by mass spectrometry (MS) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR spectroscopic analysis. To study the length of the sugar side chains attached to the CD ring, which leads to differences in the functions of the branched CDs, interactions of these compounds with peanut (Arachis hypogaea) agglutinin (PNA) were investigated using an optical biosensor and an inhibition assay based on hemagglutination. The results showed that all branched betaCDs interacted with PNA, and the binding affinity was 18>14>10 and 19>15>11 when the derivatives were compared on the basis of side chain length.     

Synthesis of a novel bridged nucleoside bearing a fused-azetidine ring, 3′-amino-3′,4′-BNA monomer

A novel bridged nucleic acid monomer, 3′-amino-3′-deoxy-5-methyl-3′-N,4′-C-methyleneuridine, was successfully synthesized via a useful and convenient azetidine ring formation under Staudinger's conditions. A ¹H NMR experiment and a PM3 calculation revealed that the sugar moiety of the novel bridged nucleic acid monomer, 3′-amino-3′,4′-BNA, was restricted to S-type conformation.     

Effect of polymer excipients on the enzyme activity of lyophilized bilirubin oxidase and beta-galactosidase formulations

The effects of excipients on the protein stability during lyophilization as well as the storage stability of lyophilized bilirubin oxidase (BO) and beta-galactosidase (GA) formulations were studied using four polymer excipients: dextran, polyvinylalcohol (PVA), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), and alpha, beta-poly(N-hydroxyethyl)-L-aspartamide (PHEA). Denaturation of BO and GA during lyophilization largely depended on the excipient used. Dextran appeared to cause severe damage to proteins, whereas PHEA protected proteins effectively from denaturation. Storage stability of BO and GA formulations also depended on the excipients, such that the formulations containing dextran and PAA were relatively unstable. Storage stability was improved by absorption of a small amount of water for all the formulations studied. Absorption of a larger amount of water, however, decreased the storage stability of the formulations containing PVA, PAA or PHEA. In contrast, the storage stability of formulations containing dextran did not decrease noticeably with increasing water. This may be because formulations containing dextran have a higher glass transition temperature than formulations containing PVA, PAA or PHEA when a large amount of water is absorbed.     

Synthesis of monohalocyclopropane derivatives from olefins by the reaction with trihalomethanes and copper

Fluoro-, chloro-, bromo-, and iodocyclopropane derivatives were obtained in 10–80% yields by the reaction of FCHI₂, ClCHI₂, BrCHI₂, and CHI₃, respectively, with Cu in the presence of olefins. The reaction was electrophilic, and proceeded stereospecifically, i.e., cis and trans olefins afforded cyclopropane derivatives whose configurations with respect to the substituents from original olefins were cis and trans, respectively. Since isomeric olefins were not detected in the reaction mixture which would be expected from the insertion of the corresponding free monohalocarbenes into C—H bonds, the reaction seemed to proceed via organocopper intermediates rather than free monohalocarbenes. With respect to the configuration of the halogen introduced by the new reaction, the cis or endo isomers were generally obtained predominantly over the corresponding trans or exo isomers.     

Xenophilic complexes bearing a Tp(R) Ligand, [Tp(R)M--M'Ln] [Tp(R) = Tp(iPr2), Tp(#) (Tp(Me2,4-Br)); M=Ni, Co, Fe, Mn; M'Ln = Co(CO)4, Co(CO)3(PPh3), RuCp(CO)2]: the two metal centers are held together not by covalent interaction but by electrostatic attraction

A series of dinuclear complexes, [Tp(R)M--M'L(n)] [Tp(iPr(2) )M--Co(CO)(4) (1; M=Ni, Co, Fe, Mn); Tp(#)M--Co(CO)(4) (1'; M=Ni, Co); Tp(#)Ni--RuCp(CO)(2) (3')] (Tp(iPr(2) )=hydrotris(3,5-diisopropylpyrazolyl)borato; Tp(#) (Tp(Me(2),4-Br))=hydrotris(3,5-dimethyl-4-bromopyrazolyl)borato), has been prepared by treatment of the cationic complexes [Tp(iPr(2) )M(NCMe)(3)]PF(6) or the halo complexes [Tp(#)M--X] with the appropriate metalates. Spectroscopic and crystallographic characterization of 1-3' reveals that the tetrahedral, high-spin Tp(R)M fragment and the coordinatively saturated carbonyl-metal fragment (M'L(n)) are connected only by a metal-metal interaction and, thus, the dinuclear complexes belong to a unique class of xenophilic complexes. The metal-metal interaction in the xenophilic complexes is polarized, as revealed by their nu(CO) vibrations and structural features, which fall between those of reference complexes: covalently bonded species [R--M'L(n)] and ionic species [M'L(n)](-). Unrestricted DFT calculations for the model complexes [Tp(H(2) )Ni--Co(CO)(4)], [Tp(H(2) )Ni--Co(CO)(3)(PH(3))], and [Tp(H(2) )Ni--RuCp(CO)(2)] prove that the two metal centers are held together not by covalent interactions, but by electrostatic attractions. In other words, the obtained xenophilic complexes can be regarded as carbonylmetalates, in which the cationic counterpart interacts with the metal center rather than the oxygen atom of the carbonyl ligand. The xenophilic complexes show divergent reactivity dependent on the properties of donor molecules. Hard (N and O donors) and soft donors (P and C donors) attack the Tp(R)M part and the ML(n) moiety, respectively. The selectivity has been interpreted in terms of the hard-soft theory, and the reactions of the high-spin species 1-3' with singlet donor molecules should involve a spin-crossover process.