Preparation of macrocyclic 15N-labelled oligoaminodeoxysaccharides as probes for RNA-binding

Two macrocyclic aminoglycosides were prepared from a 1,4-butanediol linked 2-deoxy-L-rhamnal which was O-allylated at the 4- and 4'-positions via the precursor allyl 3,4-di-O-acetyl-2,6-dideoxy-alpha-L-arabino-hexoside employing olefin metathesis and ring closing metathesis in a sequential manner. The macrocycles were 15N-labelled at all four amino groups in order to study interactions with regulatory RNA structures in solution by NMR spectroscopy. A key step for the introduction of the 15N-label was a reductive amination step using commercially available 15NH4OAc. The reductive amination proceeds with excellent stereocontrol. As a by-product the unusual acyclic amino nitrile was isolated which originated from intramolecular imine formation followed by cyanide addition to the intermediate C=N double bond.     

Analysis of selected pesticides and alkylphenols in human cord blood by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer

A total of seven pesticides and eight alkylphenols were monitored using this method for the determination of their trace levels in human cord blood. The pesticides are lindane, diazinon, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, chlorpyrifos and endrin; while the alkylphenols are 4-n-butylphenol, 4-n-pentylphenol, 4-n-hexylphenol, 4-t-octylphenol, 4-n-heptylphenol, nonylphenol, 4-n-octylphenol and bisphenol A. The pesticides and alkylphenols in the cord blood samples were extracted with solid phase extraction IST C18 cartridges and analyzed by selected ion monitoring mode using quadrapole detector in Shimadzu QP-5000 gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. Trace levels of pesticide and alkylphenols in the range of non-detectable to 15.17 ng ml⁻¹, were detected in the human cord blood samples. This technique of monitoring the levels of endocrine-disruptors in blood samples is consistent, reliable and cost effective while reducing wastage of time and solvents.     

Polyoma T (tumor) antigen species in abortively and stably transformed cells.

Stable neoplastic transformation of cells by polyoma virus requires the particpation of two viral genes, designated ts-a and hr-t. The effects of mutations in these two genes on the patterns of T-antigen synthesis during productive infection have been previously described: ts-a mutants are affected in the "large" (100K) nuclear T antigen, and hr-t mutants are affected in the "middle" (36K, 56K, 63K) and "small" (22K) T antigens. The latter are associated predominantly with the plasma membrane (56K) and cytosol fractions, respectively. Here we examine the expression of the various forms of polyoma T antigen in nonproductive infection (abortive transformation) as well as in stably transformed cell lines of different species. The results on abortive transformation are essentially the same as those described above for productive infection. In stably transformed cells, the middle and small T antigens are seen to various extents. The large T antigen, however, is often absent or present below the level of detection. Clones lacking the large T antigen are found most often among mouse transformants, but are also seen among rat transformants. Retention of the 100K species in transformed cells therefore appears to be, at least in part, an inverse function of the level of permissivity of the host toward productive viral infection. These findings indicate that the induction of the transformed phenotype in both abortively and stably transformed cells generally does not require the large T antigen, but rather the products of the hr-t gene.     

Magic-angle spinning solid-state NMR spectroscopy of the beta1 immunoglobulin binding domain of protein G (GB1): 15N and 13C chemical shift assignments and conformational analysis

Magic-angle spinning solid-state NMR (SSNMR) studies of the beta1 immunoglobulin binding domain of protein G (GB1) are presented. Chemical shift correlation spectra at 11.7 T (500 MHz 1H frequency) were employed to identify signals specific to each amino acid residue type and to establish backbone connectivities. High sensitivity and resolution facilitated the detection and assignment of every 15N and 13C site, including the N-terminal (M1) 15NH3, the C-terminal (E56) 13C', and side-chain resonances from residues exhibiting fast-limit conformational exchange near room temperature. The assigned spectra lend novel insight into the structure and dynamics of microcrystalline GB1. Secondary isotropic chemical shifts report on conformation, enabling a detailed comparison of the microcrystalline state with the conformation of single crystals and the protein in solution; the consistency of backbone conformation in these three preparations is the best among proteins studied so far. Signal intensities and line widths vary as a function of amino acid position and temperature. High-resolution spectra are observed near room temperature (280 K) and at <180 K, whereas resolution and sensitivity greatly degrade substantially near 210 K; the magnitude of this effect is greatest among the side chains of residues at the intermolecular interface of the microcrystal lattice, which we attribute to intermediate-rate translational diffusion of solvent molecules near the glass transition. These features of GB1 will enable its use as an excellent model protein not only for SSNMR methods development but also for fundamental studies of protein thermodynamics in the solid state.     

Clar valence bond representation of pi-bonding in carbon nanotubes

The application of the Clar aromatic sextet valence bond (VB) model to extended, defect-free single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with roll-up vectors (m, n) provides a real space model of their electronic structure. If m - n = 3k, where k is an integer, then all pi-electrons can be represented by aromatic sextets, and the CNT is fully benzenoid; the converse is also true. Since m - n = 3k is known to be a necessary criterion for conductivity in CNTs, only fully benzenoid CNTs are metallic, and only potentially metallic CNTs are fully benzenoid. This behavior contrasts with that of planar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, in which the fully benzenoid structures are known to have large HOMO-LUMO gaps. For CNTs that are not fully benzenoid, e.g., m - n = 3k + l, where l = 1 or 2 and k is an integer, a seam of double bonds wraps about an otherwise benzenoid CNT at the chiral angle - 60 degrees or the chiral angle, respectively. Nucleus-independent chemical shift calculations on hydrogen-terminated CNT segments support this, and show that the magnetic manifestation of aromatic sextets is not due to electron correlation. The resonance hybrid of the Clar VB structures corresponds to patterns occasionally observed in scanning tunneling microscopy images of CNTs.     

Artificial metalloenzymes: The powerful alliance between protein scaffolds and organometallic catalysts

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Self-selection in olefin cross-metathesis: the effect of remote functionality

Olefin cross-metathesis (CM) is potentially an attractive method for generating dynamic combinatorial libraries (DCLs). In order for the CM reaction to be useful for DCL production, the course of the reaction and product distribution must be relatively insensitive to functionality remote from the reacting centers. We report on the CM of a series of allyl- and homoallylamides that are strongly dependent on remote functionality. This includes an unusual example of a cis-selective CM. [Reaction: see text]     

Further reactions of some bis(vinylidene)diruthenium complexes

Whereas {Ru(dppm)Cp*}₂(μ-CCCC) (2) is the only product formed by deprotonation of [{Ru(dppm)Cp*}₂{μ(CCHCHC)}]⁺ with dbu, a mixture of 2 with Ru{CCCHCH(PPh₂)₂[RuCp*]}(dppm)Cp* (3) and {Cp*Ru(PPh₂CHCCH-)}₂ (4) is obtained with KOBu^t. A similar reaction with [{Ru(dppm)Cp*}₂{μ(CCMeCMeC)}]⁺ (5) gave Ru{CCCMeCH(PPh₂)₂[RuCp*]}(dppm)Cp* (6). X-ray structures of 4, 5 and 6 confirm the presence of the 1-ruthena-2,4-diphosphabicyclo[1.1.1]pentane moiety, which is likely formed by an intramolecular attack of the deprotonated dppm ligand on C(1) of the vinylidene ligand. Protonation of {Ru(dppe)Cp*}₂(μ-CCCC) (8-Ru) regenerates its precursor [{Ru(dppe)Cp*}₂{μ(CCHCHC)}]²⁺ (7-Ru). Ready oxidation of the bis(vinylidene) complex affords the cationic carbonyl [Ru(CO)(dppe)Cp*]PF₆ (9) (X-ray structure).     

Multilayer vesicles and vesicle clusters formed by the fullerene-based surfactant C60(CH3)5K

The self-assembly behavior of a fullerene-based surfactant, C60(CH3)5K, in water was studied using a combination of static and dynamic light scattering, as well as transmission electron microscopy, and compared to that of the compound C60(C6H5)5K. Both fullerene surfactant systems spontaneously assemble into large vesicles consisting of closed spherical shells formed by bilayers, with critical aggregation concentrations (CAC) lower than 10(-6) g ml(-1). At low concentrations, the aggregate sizes of C60(CH3)5K (radius R approximately 26.8 nm) and C60(C6H5)5K (R approximately 17.0 nm) were found to be substantially different from each other, showing that the change of the substituents surrounding the polar cyclopentadienide head group makes it possible to control the size of the resulting aggregates. Furthermore, the C60(CH3)5K vesicles were found to exist in two qualitatively different types of aggregation with a critical reaggregation concentration (CRC) located at 3.30 x 10(-6) g ml(-1). Above the CRC, larger aggregates were observed (R approximately 37.6 nm), showing a more complex form of supramolecular aggregation, e.g., in terms of multi-bilayer vesicles and/or of clusters of bilayer vesicles.     

Capillary electrochromatography of peptides on microfabricated poly(dimethylsiloxane) chips modified by cerium(IV)-catalyzed polymerization

Ceramides are important intracellular second messengers that play a role in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation and programmed cell death. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of these second messengers requires sensitive and specific analytical methods to detect endogenous levels of individual ceramide species and to differentiate between them. Nine synthetic ceramides were separated by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry on a C18 bonded silica column. The lipids were eluted in gradient elution mode using a mixture of water, acetonitrile and 2-propanol as mobile phase. They were detected by reaction monitoring performed on positive ion electrospray generated ions. Collision-induced fragmentations conducted on ceramides produced a well characteristic product ion at m/z 264, making multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) well suited for various ceramides quantitative measurements. After optimization of the extraction step, the proposed methodology was able to identify and quantify different ceramide species issued from human cancer cells. The method could be validated for C16, C18 and C20 ceramides, quantified at the nanogram level. The validation exhibits good results with respect to linearity, accuracy and precision.