PHOTOINDUCED DEGRADATION AND MODIFICATION OF PHOTOFRIN II IN CELLS in vitro

Abstract— Human cells of the line NHIK 3025 were incubated with Photofrin II (PII) and exposed to light. Fluorescence- and absorption spectra of PII in the cells were measured. Light exposure resulted in a degradation of PII in the cells and changes in the shape of the fluorescence spectra. These changes are probably partly due to a photochemical modification of PII and to a relocalization of PII in the cells. Notably, a destruction of binding sites for PII on or close to proteins was caused by the light exposure. The rate of the light-induced decay of the porphyrin fluorescence intensity was only slightly increasing with the PII concentration, indicating that each porphyrin molecule is mainly degraded by photoproducts originating from itself. On the other hand, the rate of the degradation of porphyrin binding sites on the proteins increased with increasing PII concentrations.
The excitation spectrum of PII in cells has a peak at285–290 nm attributed to energy transfer from proteins to porphyrins located close to the proteins. The intensity of this peak relative to the intensity of the Soret band increases with decreasing porphyrin concentrations. This might indicate that some of the binding sites close to proteins have a higher affinity for the porphyrin than binding sites at longer distances from the proteins.     

cis-trans Isomerization of bis(Dialkylsulfide)Dihaloplatinum(II) Complexes in Solution

The equilibrium energetics and the kinetics of cis-trans isomerization of some bis(dialkylsulfide)dihaloplatinum(II) complexes have been examined by ¹H-NMR. spectroscopy. The isomers are stable in chloroform but each form isomerizes to an equilibrium mixture when free dialkylsulfide is added. The cis to trans process is endothermic and the position of the equilibrium is markedly dependent on the nature of the donor atoms and of the solvent. The rate of isomerization of Pt(Me₂S)₂Cl₂ is first order in complex and in Me₂S. The isomerization proceeds by a double displacement mechanism as it is shown that the tris(dimethylsulfide)chloroplatinum(II) cation is an isolable intermediate of the reaction. When free Me₂S is added to trans-Pd(Me₂S)₂Cl₂, isomerization does not occur and one observes instead a fast ligand exchange. Its mechanism is the usual associative one for substitutions in square planar d⁸complexes.     

QUENCHING OF TYROSINE FLUORESCENCE BY PHOSPHATE IONS: A MODEL STUDY FOR PROTEIN-NUCLEIC ACID COMPLEXES

Abstract— In order to test the ability of phosphate groups to quench the tyrosine fluorescence in nucleic acid-protein complexes, we have studied the effect of several phosphate ions on the fluorescence of tyrosine derivatives. Mono and bianions (H₂PO₄ and HPO₄^2–) which are good proton acceptors quenched the fluorescence of all the phenolic compounds studied except that of O -methyl tyrosine. With the other derivatives (tyrosine, N -acetyl tyrosinamide and lysyl-tyrosyl-α lysine) fluorescence inhibition was accompanied by the appearance of a long wavelength emission (345 nm) attributed to tyrosinate anions. The quenching of tyrosine emission was due to the deprotonation of the phenolic group promoted in the excited state by phosphate ions and leading to the weakly fluorescent tyrosinate ion. Mono and dianions of phosphate mono ester inhibited tyrosine fluorescence as did unesterified phosphates. However, phosphate diester did not have any effect on the fluorescence of tyrosine derivatives. We conclude from this study that in nucleic acid-protein complexes phosphate groups are not able to quench tyrosine fluorescence except at the end of polynucleotide chains. Since monoester and diester monoanions have a different behavior, we propose that quenching of tyrosine fluorescence by monoanions requires the formation of two hydrogen bonds. This complex cannot form with diesters which consequently do not quench tyrosine fluorescence.     

Intensités des Transitions Électroniques de [PdCl4]2− Intensities of Electronic Transitions of [PdCl4]2−

The oscillator strengths of the symmetry-forbidden transitions of the ion [PdCl₄]^2– were calculated by a method based on the evaluation of the MO of the distorted ion. It is not very likely that the transition to¹ B _1g (a _1g (d _z ²)b _1g ) state, weak, mainlyz polarized, explains the band that appears as a shoulder observed towards 30 000 cm^–1 in the absorption spectrum. If this band is specific of the ion [PdCl₄]^2–, the assignment to the forbidden charge-transfer transition,¹ A _1g ¹ B _2g , is more plausible.

     

Preparation de β-cetonitriles via l'acylation du cyanacetate de trimethylsilyle par les anhydrides mixtes.

β-ketonitriles R¹COCH₂CN and R¹COCH(R²)CN are respectively prepared from (CH₃)₃SiOCOCHLiCN or R²CHLiCN by acylation reaction with mixed anhydrides RCOOCO₂Et.     

Ion spray-tandem mass spectrometry of supramolecular coordination complexes

Double-helical [M₂L₂] ⁿ⁺, triple-helical [M₂L₃] ⁿ⁺, and toroidal [M₃L₃] ⁿ⁺ (M = Cu, Co, Fe, Ni, La, Eu, Gd, Tb, or Lu) supramolecular complexes have been fully characterized by ion spray mass spectrometry (IS-MS). The IS-MS spectra from pure acetonitrile solutions reflect the nature of the cations present in solution with conservation of the charge state and allow an efficient qualitative speciation of the compounds. The mass spectrometry results can be correlated with other powerful techniques (nuclear magnetic resonance and electronic spectroscopy) for the characterization of supramolecular complexes in solution, Structural information is obtained by collision-induced dissociation, which strongly depends on the metal ions used in the supramolecular complexes and on the various connectivities and topologies of the ligands. When the ligand contains 3,5dimethoxybenzyl groups bound to the benzimidazole rings, the partial fragmentation of the complexes is associated with a decrease of the total charge of the complexes and the appearance of the characteristic fragment at m/z 151 that corresponds to the 3,5-dimethoxybenzyl cation. A detailed analysis of the fragmentation pathways of these supramolecular complexes suggests that the metal-nitrogen coordination bonds are very strong in the gas phase.     

Micrometric BN powders used as catalyst support: influence of the precursor on the properties of the BN ceramic

Thin powders and foams of boron nitride have been prepared from molecular precursors for use as noble metal supports in the catalytic conversion of methane. Different precursors originating from borazines have been tested. The best results were obtained using a precursor derived from trichloroborazine (TCB) which, after reacting with ammonia at room temperature and then thermolyzing up to 1800°C, led to BN powders with a specific area of more than 300 m² g⁻¹ and a micrometric spherical texture. Comparable results were obtained using polyborazylene under similar conditions. Aminoborazine-derived precursors did not yield such high specific area ceramics but the BN microstructure resembled a foam with a crystallized skin and amorphous internal part. These differences were related to the chemical mechanism of the conversion of the precursor into BN. Polyhaloborazines and polyborazines yielded BN through gas-solid reactions whereas aminoborazine polymers could be kept waxy up to high temperatures, which favored the glassy foam. Catalysts composed of BN support and platinum have been prepared using two routes: from a mixture of precursor or by impregnation of a BN powder leading to very different catalysts.     

5α-24-Norcholestan-3β-ol and (24Z)-Stigmasta-5,7,24(28)-trien-3β-ol,Two New Marine Sterols from the Pacific Sponges Terpios zeteki and Dysidea herbacea

The steroidal components of 2 marine sponges, Terpios zeteki (from Hawaii) and Dysidea herbacea (from Australia) were fractionated through a combination of chromatographic methods, including reversed phase HPLC., and were analyzed by a combination of physical methods, including high resolution GC.-MS. and 360 MHz ¹H-NMR. T. zeteki contains 6 conventional 5α-stanols which comprise 91% of the sterol mixture, and traces (0.5%) of a new C₂₆ sterol, 5α-24-norcholestan-3β-ol. Minor amounts of conventional Δ⁵-sterols (6.5%) and of a single Δ⁴-3-ketosteroid (1.5%) were also present. In contrast, the Australian sponge (D. herbacea) contains 3 Δ^5,7-sterols which comprise 1.5% of the sterol mixture, and one new C₂₉ sterol, (24 Z)-stigmasta-5,7,24(28)-trien-3β-ol, as the major component (75%). In addition, minor amounts of conventional 5α-stanols (0.5%), Δ⁵-sterols (5%) and 5α-Δ⁷-sterols (18%) were present in this complex sterol mixture. The possible dietary or endosymbiotic origins of these sterols are discussed.