Electrochemical investigations into Tau protein phosphorylations

Hyperphosphorylation of Tau, a protein that stabilizes microtubules, leads to the breakdown of the microtubular structure and ultimately to the formation of neurofibrillar tangles within neurons. Here, we report monitoring of Tau phosphorylations electrochemically, using Tau protein films chemically linked to gold surfaces and 5'-γ-ferrocenyl (Fc) adenosine triphosphate (Fc-ATP) as a co-substrate. Fc-phosphorylation reactions of Tau are explored using the three protein kinases, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK-3β), sarcoma (Src)-related kinase, and protein kinase A (PKA), which catalyze Fc-phosphorylation of different residues and regions within Tau. The kinetic parameters of the biochemical process (K(M) and V(max)) were determined.     

Solvent-Free,Microwave-Assisted,One-Pot Synthesis of 2-Acetyl-N,3-diaryl-4-nitro-butanamides

A combination of benzyltriethylammonium borohydride and chlorotrimethylsilane (1:1) in dichloromethane (0–25°C) has been found to be a convenient reagent system for the selective reduction of carboxylic acids to alcohols.