Targeted mutagenesis of the Sap47 gene of Drosophila: Flies lacking the synapse associated protein of 47 kDa are viable and fertile

Background  

Conserved proteins preferentially expressed in synaptic terminals of the nervous system are likely to play a significant role in brain function. We have previously identified and molecularly characterized the Sap47 gene which codes for a novel synapse associated protein of 47 kDa in Drosophila. Sequence comparison identifies homologous proteins in numerous species including C. elegans, fish, mouse and human. First hints as to the function of this novel protein family can be obtained by generating mutants for the Sap47 gene in Drosophila.     

13C-NMR-Spektren von Tetracyclo[4.1.0.02,4.03,5]heptanen,Tetracyclo[5.1.0.02,4.03,5]octanen und Tricyclo[4.1.0.02,7]hept-3-enen. Ungewöhnliche δ- und γ-Substituenteneffekte

Carbon-13 NMR spectroscopic data of eleven tetracyclo[4.1.0.0^2,4.0^3,5]heptanes, two tetracyclo-[5.1.0.0^2,4.0^3,5]octanes and twelve tricyclo[4.1.0.0^2,7]hept-3-enes are reported. In the tetracycloheptanes, halogens located at the 7-position cause large δ substituent effects. endo-Halogens shift the C-4 signal to lower field by about 6 ppm, while exo-haolgens produce upfield shifts of the C-3 signal, which are dependent on the nature of the halogen and reach a maximum of 9.1 ppm in the case of fluorine. An orbital model is proposed to explain the δ upfield shifts. The compounds containing fluorine reveal a connection between the δ substituent effects and the corresponding ¹³C? ¹⁹F coupling constants. Substituents in the 5 position of tricycloheptenes are γ-substituents of C-1, C-3 and C-7 and produce downfield shifts of the absorptions of these nuclei. Their dependence on the nature of the substituent follows approximately those in 1-substituted adamentanes; in the case of C-7, however, their magnitude by far exceeds the adamantane values, bromine (15.5 ppm) being most effective.     

Is there an anionic Hofmeister effect on water dynamics? Dielectric spectroscopy of aqueous solutions of NaBr, NaI, NaNO3, NaClO4, and NaSCN

A systematic study of the dielectric relaxation spectra of aqueous solutions of NaBr, NaI, NaNO(3), NaClO(4), and NaSCN has been made over a wide range of frequencies (0.2 < or = nu/GHz < or = 89) and solute concentrations (0.05 < or = c/M < or = 1.5) at 25 degrees C. The spectra could be adequately described by a single Cole-Cole (CC) process, symmetrically broadened relative to that of pure water. However, similar quality fits were also obtained with a three-Debye-process (3D) model consisting of a small ion-pair contribution at lower frequencies and two solvent relaxations at higher frequencies. Assuming the ions to be solvent separated, the 3D model provided estimates of their association constants and their rate constants for formation and dissociation. The bulk water relaxation times obtained from both models showed almost no dependence on the nature of the anion. Nevertheless, there were subtle differences in the concentration dependences of the relaxation times which correlated with some, but not all, of the anion properties that are believed to be relevant for explaining the anionic Hofmeister series.     

Dielectric Spectroscopy of Cesium Fluoride in Methanol

Dielectric relaxation spectra have been measured at frequencies up to 20 GHz for CsF solutions in methanol (MeOH) at concentrations up to about 1 mol-L at 25°C. Spectra were also obtained for a few concentrations of the much less soluble KF. The data show that CsF forms a solvent shared ion pair (SSIP) in MeOH solutions. Detailed consideration of the possible geometries and comparison with earlier conductometric data suggest that the ion pair involves an oriented solvent molecule located at a vertex of one of the coordination sites of the cesium, rather than a conventional SSIP. Solvation numbers of the ions, estimated via the modified Cavell equation, are unrealistically large. This suggests, consistent with the large dielectric decrement and the conductivity data, that the ions significantly break down the chain structure of MeOH.     

IspH protein of Escherichia coli: studies on iron-sulfur cluster implementation and catalysis

The ispH gene of Escherichia coli specifies an enzyme catalyzing the conversion of 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl diphosphate into a mixture of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) in the nonmevalonate isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway. The implementation of a gene cassette directing the overexpression of the isc operon involved in the assembly of iron-sulfur clusters into an Escherichia coli strain engineered for ispH gene expression increased the catalytic activity of IspH protein anaerobically purified from this strain by a factor of at least 200. For maximum catalytic activity, flavodoxin and flavodoxin reductase were required in molar concentrations of 40 and 12 microM, respectively. EPR experiments as well as optical absorbance indicate the presence of a [3Fe-4S](+) cluster in IspH protein. Among 4 cysteines in total, the 36 kDa protein carries 3 absolutely conserved cysteine residues at the amino acid positions 12, 96, and 197. Replacement of any of the conserved cysteine residues reduced the catalytic activity by a factor of more than 70 000.     

Understanding the contrast mechanism in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images of an intermixed tetraphenylporphyrin layer on Ag(111)

The appearance of tetraphenylporphyrins in scanning tunneling micrographs depends strongly on the applied bias voltage. Here, we report the observation and identification of certain features in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images of intermixed layers of tetraphenylporphyrin (2HTPP) and cobalt-tetraphenylporphyrin (CoTPP) on Ag(111). A significant fraction of an ordered monolayer of commercially available CoTPP appears as "pits" at negative bias voltages around -1 V. The obvious possibility that these pits are missing molecules within the ordered layer could be ruled out by imaging the molecules at reduced bias voltages, at which the contrast of the pits fades, and at positive bias voltages around +1 V, at which the image contrast is inverted. With the investigation of the electronic structure, in particular the density of states (DOS) close to the Fermi level, of CoTPP and 2HTPP layers by means of ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS), the contrast mechanism was clarified. The correlation of the bias dependent contrast with the UPS data enabled us to interpret the "pits" as individual 2HTPP molecules. Additional evidence could be provided by imaging layers of different mixtures of 2HTPP and CoTPP and by high-resolution STM imaging of the features in CoTPP.     

Ligand metalation in an iridiumtris(diisopropylphosphinomethyl)borato complex: Synthesis, molecular structure and reactivity

The reaction of [IrCl(dmso)₃] with trisphosphinomethylborato ligand Li(THF){PhB(CH₂PⁱPr₂)₃} at room temperature results in intramolecular C-H activation of one of the ⁱPr substituents affording two diastereomers of cyclometalated iridium(III) complex [Ir(H)(dmso){PhB(CH₂PⁱPr₂)₂(CH₂PⁱPrCHMeCH₂)}] (1) in high yield in approximately equimolar ratio. NMR spectroscopic characterization indicates that only the diastereomers with the hydride ligand in cis position with respect to the metalacyclic phosphorous atom are formed as confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Facile ring opening with H₂ at room temperature gives dihydride [Ir(H)₂(dmso){PhB(CH₂PⁱPr₂)₃}] (2). However, C-H activation of benzene was not observed.