Simple Method for Benzamidomethylation of Phenols in Water Solution

Benzamidomethyl ethers ROCH₂ NHBz (5) (R = aryl, cyclohexyl and benzyl) were obtained in high yields in reactions of ROH (4) with (benzamidomethy1)tri-ethylammonium chloride 3 as a benzamidomethylation agent. Reactions occurred in water, except reactions of cyclohexyl and benzyl alcohol with 3 that occurred in CHCl₃.     

On‐line coupled capillary isotachophoresis‐capillary zone electrophoresis in hydrodynamically closed separation system hyphenated with laser induced fluorescence detection

An analytical method, based on a column coupling capillary ITP and CZE in a hydrodynamically closed separation mode hyphenated with the detection in the modular arrangement, was developed in this work. Analytical possibilities of this approach are demonstrated on the direct and ultrasensitive quantitative determination of quinine (QUI) in diluted real multicomponent ionic matrices (beverages, urine). The detection cell interface, with the rectangular arrangement of the optical channels inside, connected the separation capillary with the LIF detector via optical fibers in the on‐column detection arrangement. ITP enabled the direct large volume (30 μL) injections of the diluted real matrices with an on‐line sample pretreatment (preseparation, preconcentration) so that no external sample preparation (except for the dilution) was necessary for the separation of the analyte in the multicomponent ionic matrices. Due to the ITP sample preconcentration and intrinsic sensitivity of the LIF detection, very low concentration LOD (as low as 77 pg/mL), were reached at the same time. This was ca. two orders lower than the corresponding LOD achieved by the same 2D separation system with UV absorbance detection. Compared to the single column CE‐LIF methods applied for this model analyte and matrix, this method was found to be superior in terms of concentration LOD, with acceptable selectivity and benefits of the on‐line sample preparation. A food control and bioanalytical application clearly illustrates great practical possibilities and routine use of the proposed modular ITP–CZE–LIF technique.     

Voltammetry of Osmium End‐Labeled Oligodeoxynucleotides at Carbon,Mercury, and Gold Electrodes

Voltammetric behavior of oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) 5′‐T₄₀ (GAA)₇–3′ end‐labeled with osmium tetroxide,2,2‐bipyridine [Os(VIII)bipy] was compared with Os(VIII)bipy‐base‐ and with Os(VI)bipy‐sugar‐modified thymine ribosides. Cyclic voltammograms of Os(VIII)bipy‐modified ODN at mercury and carbon electrodes were similar but not identical to those of Os(VIII)bipy‐modified thymine riboside. Treatment of the ODN with Os(VI)bipy did not result in the ODN modification, in agreement with the known specificity of the reagent to the sugar cis‐diols. We show that in addition to mercury and carbon electrodes, the gold electrode can be used to detect Os(VIII)bipy‐labeled ODN. Comparison of voltammetric behavior of end‐labeled ODN using three types of electrodes most frequently used in DNA analysis may help to optimize electrochemical DNA sensors.     

Natural-like Chalcones with Antitumor Activity on Human MG63 Osteosarcoma Cells

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignant disease characterized by poor prognosis due to a high incidence of metastasis and chemoresistance. Recently, Licochalcone A (Lic-A) has been reported as a promising agent against OS. Starting from chalcones selected from a wide in-house library, a new series was designed and synthetized. The antitumor activity of the compounds was tested on the MG63 OS cell line through the innovative Quantitative Phase Imaging technique and MTT assay. To further investigate the biological profile of active derivatives, cell cycle progression and apoptosis induction were evaluated. An earlier and more consistent arrest in the G2-M phase with respect to Lic-A was observed. Moreover, apoptosis was assessed by Annexin V staining as well as by the detection of typical morphological features of apoptotic cells. Among the selected compounds, 1e, 1q, and 1r proved to be the most promising antitumor molecules. This study pointed out that an integrated methodological approach may constitute a valuable platform for the rapid screening of large series of compounds.     

DNA Damage Clustering after Ionizing Radiation and Consequences in the Processing of Chromatin Breaks

Charged-particle radiotherapy (CPRT) utilizing low and high linear energy transfer (low-/high-LET) ionizing radiation (IR) is a promising cancer treatment modality having unique physical energy deposition properties. CPRT enables focused delivery of a desired dose to the tumor, thus achieving a better tumor control and reduced normal tissue toxicity. It increases the overall radiation tolerance and the chances of survival for the patient. Further improvements in CPRT are expected from a better understanding of the mechanisms governing the biological effects of IR and their dependence on LET. There is increasing evidence that high-LET IR induces more complex and even clustered DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that are extremely consequential to cellular homeostasis, and which represent a considerable threat to genomic integrity. However, from the perspective of cancer management, the same DSB characteristics underpin the expected therapeutic benefit and are central to the rationale guiding current efforts for increased implementation of heavy ions (HI) in radiotherapy. Here, we review the specific cellular DNA damage responses (DDR) elicited by high-LET IR and compare them to those of low-LET IR. We emphasize differences in the forms of DSBs induced and their impact on DDR. Moreover, we analyze how the distinct initial forms of DSBs modulate the interplay between DSB repair pathways through the activation of DNA end resection. We postulate that at complex DSBs and DSB clusters, increased DNA end resection orchestrates an increased engagement of resection-dependent repair pathways. Furthermore, we summarize evidence that after exposure to high-LET IR, error-prone processes outcompete high fidelity homologous recombination (HR) through mechanisms that remain to be elucidated. Finally, we review the high-LET dependence of specific DDR-related post-translational modifications and the induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. We believe that in-depth characterization of the biological effects that are specific to high-LET IR will help to establish predictive and prognostic signatures for use in future individualized therapeutic strategies, and will enhance the prospects for the development of effective countermeasures for improved radiation protection during space travel.     

Coupling of Gaussian Beam and Finite Difference Solvers for Semiclassical Schrödinger Equations

In the semiclassical regime, solutions to the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for molecular dynamics are highly oscillatory. The number of grid points required for resolving the oscillations may become very large even for simple model problems, making solution on a grid intractable. Asymptotic methods like Gaussian beams can resolve the oscillations with little effort and yield good approximations when the atomic nuclei are heavy and the potential is smooth. However, when the potential has variations on a small length-scale, quantum phenomena become important. Then asymptotic methods are less accurate. The two classes of methods perform well in different parameter regimes. This opens for hybrid methods, using Gaussian beams where we can and finite differences where we have to. We propose a new method for treating the coupling between the finite difference method and Gaussian beams. The new method reduces the needed amount of overlap regions considerably compared to previous methods, which improves the efficiency.     

The structure of human dermatan sulfate epimerase 1 emphasizes the importance of C5-epimerization of glucuronic acid in higher organisms

Dermatan sulfate epimerase 1 (DS-epi1, EC 5.1.3.19) catalyzes the conversion of d-glucuronic acid to l-iduronic acid on the polymer level, a key step in the biosynthesis of the glycosaminoglycan dermatan sulfate. Here, we present the first crystal structure of the catalytic domains of DS-epi1, solved at 2.4 Å resolution, as well as a model of the full-length luminal protein obtained by a combination of macromolecular crystallography and targeted cross-linking mass spectrometry. Based on docking studies and molecular dynamics simulations of the protein structure and a chondroitin substrate, we suggest a novel mechanism of DS-epi1, involving a His/double-Tyr motif. Our work uncovers detailed information about the domain architecture, active site, metal-coordinating center and pattern of N-glycosylation of the protein. Additionally, the structure of DS-epi1 reveals a high structural similarity to proteins from several families of bacterial polysaccharide lyases. DS-epi1 is of great importance in a range of diseases, and the structure provides a necessary starting point for design of active site inhibitors.