Effects of As(III) binding on alpha-helical structure

As(III) displays a wide range of effects in cellular chemistry. Surprisingly, the structural consequences of arsenic binding to peptides and proteins are poorly understood. This study utilizes model alpha-helical peptides containing two cysteine (Cys) residues in various sequential arrangements and spatial locations to study the structural effects of arsenic binding. With i, and i + 1, i + 2, or i + 3 arrangements, CD spectroscopy shows that As(III) coordination causes helical destabilization when Cys residues are located at central or C-terminal regions of the helix. Interestingly, arsenic binding to i, i + 3 positions results in the elimination of helical structure and the formation of a relatively stable alternate fold. In contrast, helical stabilization is observed for peptides containing i, i + 4 Cys residues, with corresponding pseudo pairwise interaction energies (Delta G(pw) degrees) of -1.0 and -0.7 kcal/mol for C-terminal and central placements, respectively. Binding affinities and association rate constants show that As(III) binding is comparatively insensitive to the location of the Cys residues within these moderately stable helices. These data demonstrate that As(III) binding can be a significant modulator of helical secondary structure.     

Aggregate, Polymer and Cluster Formation from Metal-Imino Carboxylate Complexes

Reaction of tris-(2-aminoethyl)amine (tren) andthe sodium salt of an -ketocarboxylic acid, typically sodium pyruvate, affordsin the presence of a lanthanide ion aseries of complexes and aggregates includingmononuclear, cyclic tetranuclear and polymerspecies of [L¹]^3- ([L¹]^3-=N[CH₂CH₂N=C(CH₃)COO^-]³).The aggregation of these and related d-block elementcomplexes with Na⁺ ions leadsto the formation of polymeric materials, and thefactors influencing the formation and controlof these various aggregation states are discussed.Metal cations also template the aggregationof the fragment [Ni(L²)] ([L²]^2- =CH₂[CH₂N = C(CH₃)COO^-]₂)to give, in high yield, the polynuclearaggregates {[Ni(L²)]₆M}^x+(M = Nd, Pr, Ce, La, x = 3; M = Sr, Ba, x = 2). The structures of{[Ni(L²)]₆M}^x+ show aninterstitial twelve co-ordinate, icosahedralcation M^x+ encapsulated by six [Ni(L²)]fragments. In the presence ofNa⁺, aggregation of [Ni(L²)] fragments affords {[Ni(L²)]₉Na₄(H₂O)(MeOH)(ClO₄)}³⁺ thestructure of whichshows four Na⁺ ions templating the formation ofa distorted tricapped trigonal prismatic[Ni(L²)]₉ cage. Thus, control overconstruction of various polynuclear cages viaself-assembly at octahedral junctions can beachieved using main group, transition metaland lanthanide ion templates.     

The Dyeing of Nylon and Cotton Cloth with Azo Dyes: Kinetics and Mechanism

The mechanism of the dyeing of cotton and nylon cloth by the azo dyes Orange G and Sunset Yellow FCF was investigated using a channel flow cell. The variation in dyeing with flow rate was found to proceed via a mechanism in which the flux of dye entering the cloth relative to the flux of dye to the cloth surfacedecreasedwith increasing flow rate. A mechanism is deduced in which the dye passes from bulk solution, through a porous surface layer within the cloth, before passing into the bulk cloth. Adsorption onto surface sites in this porous layer blocks the passage of further dye into the cloth. Kinetic parameters for such a mechanism are given.     

Rearrangement during cyclisation of some 3-(2-pyrrolyl) propionic acids and related compounds

Cyclisation of the title compounds leads to mixtures of the expected 4H-cyclopental[b]pyrrol-4-ones (1), the corresponding 6-ones (3) by a single rearrangement, and the cyclopenta[c]pyrrol-4-ones (4) by a double rearrangement, the proportions depending upon the substituents.The ¹H NMR spectra of 2-methyl-4H-cyctopenta[b]thiophen-6-one (3f) shows 6J long range $\text{CH}{}_3\text{CH}{}_2$ coupling, but this is absent in the corresponding pyrroles (3c,d). The ¹³C spectra of 1 and 3 cannot be interpreted on the basis of substituent chemical shifts in pyrroles and thiophens, and are clearly -CH = CH-X (X = NMe, NPh, S) bridged derivatives of cyclopent-2-enone.     

Fermentation of a skim milk concentrate with Streptococcus thermophilus and chymosin: structure, viscoelasticity and syneresis of gels

Fermentation of a reconstituted skim milk concentrate (8% protein) was investigated to elucidate the effects of various fermentation parameters on the structural, rheological and visual (wheying-off) properties of the resulting gels (pH 4.60). Fermentation trials were performed with non-exocellular polysaccharide-producing strains of Streptococcus thermophilus at various fermentation temperatures and at various chymosin levels. Oscillatory vane rheometry carried out on the intact gels (at 4 °C) showed that the level of chymosin had a significant impact on the gel strength (storage modulus G′). This can be explained by the arrangement of casein micelles into more compact aggregates and the enhanced fusion of aggregated casein micelles as revealed by transmission electron microscopy for the gels fermented with chymosin. Wheying-off of the stirred gels as measured by a centrifugation test (at 4 °C) and pore size of the intact gel structures investigated by scanning electron microscopy both increased with increasing level of chymosin and increasing fermentation temperature (resulting in an increase in acidification rate). A higher level of syneresis (wheying-off) is explained by the larger pore size, since larger pores present a lower resistance to the outflow of whey from the gel.     

Diels-Alder chemistry at furan ring functionalized solid surfaces

A substrate-independent method for Diels-Alder chemistry at solid surfaces is described for the first time.     

Ca(2.5)Sr(0.5)GaMn2O8: diamagnetic Ga in control of the structural and electronic properties of a bilayered manganate

The temperature dependence of the crystal structure and electronic properties of brownmillerite-like Ca(2.5)Sr(0.5)GaMn(2)O(8) has been studied by neutron powder diffraction and muSR spectroscopy. The results show that short-range 2D magnetic order begins to develop within the perovskite-like bilayers of MnO(6) octahedra approximately 50 K above the 3D Néel temperature of approximately 150 K. The bilayers show a structural response to the onset of magnetism throughout this temperature range whereas the GaO(4) layers that separate the bilayers only respond below the 3D ordering temperature. XANES spectroscopy shows that the sample contains Mn(3+) and Mn(4+) cations in a 1:1 ratio, and the behavior in the region of the Néel transition is interpreted as a local charge ordering. Electron diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy have been used to show that the local microstructure is more complex than the average structure revealed by neutron diffraction, and that microdomains exist in which the GaO(4) tetrahedra show different orientations. It is argued that the bonding requirements of diamagnetic gallium control the electronic behavior within the perovskite-like bilayers.     

Reactions of a carbene stabilised indium trihydride complex, [InH3{CN(Mes)C2H2N(Mes)}] Mes = mesityl,with transition metal complexes

The reactivity of the carbene stabilised indium trihydride complex, [InH₃(IMes)] IMes = 1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene, toward a variety of transition metal complexes has been investigated. The study has shown that the InH₃ complex can act as a carbene and/or hydride transfer reagent to transition metal centres but does not yield heterobimetallic materials. Two new complexes, [Cp₂Ti(-Cl)₂Zn(IMes)Cl] and [CpNi(H)(IMes)], have resulted from this work, both of which have been spectroscopically and structurally characterised.     

Applications of ethylammonium and propylammonium nitrate solvents in liquid-liquid extraction and chromatography

Ethyl- and propylammonium nitrate are novel ionic solvents, liquid at room temperature, suitable for use as selective solvents for the isolation of analytes containing proton donor functional groups (alcohols, amines, phenols, carboxylic acids, etc.) by liquid-liquid distribution. These solvents form immiscible solvent pairs with non-polar aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, ethers and alkyl halide solvents (e.g., methylene chloride, chloroform). Analytes can be recovered from the ionic solvents by back-extraction into ah organic solvent after dilution with water or pH buffer or, preferably, by extractive derivatization when gas chromatography is used for the analyses, avoiding the accumulation of salt on the column that results in poor baseline stability. Alkylation, acylation and particularly silylation are suitable methods for extractive derivatization using standard reaction conditions. Applications are presented for the isolation of polar analytes from an urban dust, shale oil and urine samples and for the determination of low-molecular-weight alcohols in gasahol and glycerol in soap. Liquid-liquid chromatographic systems with the liquid organic salt as stationary phase can be used to predict distribution constants for a particular separation and for the separation of polar solutes, particularly isomeric compounds possessing a proton donor functional group.