Dansyl‐peptides matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric (MALDI‐MS) and tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) features improve the liquid chromatography/MALDI‐MS/MS analysis of the proteome

Peptide tagging is a useful tool to improve matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem mass spectrometric (MALDI‐MS/MS) analysis. We present a new application of the use of the dansyl chloride (DNS‐Cl). DNS‐Cl is a specific primary amine reagent widely used in protein biochemistry. It adds a fluorescent dimethylaminonaphthalene moiety to the molecule. The evaluation of MALDI‐MS and MS/MS analyses of dansylated peptides shows that dansylation raises the ionization efficiency of the most hydrophilic species compared with the most hydrophobic ones. Consequently, higher Mascot scores and protein sequence coverage are obtained by combining MS and MS/MS data of native and tagged samples. The N‐terminal DNS‐Cl sulfonation improves the peptide fragmentation and promotes the generation of b‐fragments allowing better peptide sequencing. In addition, we set up a labeling protocol based on the microwave chemistry. Peptide dansylation proved to be a rapid and cheap method to improve the performance of liquid chromatography (LC)/MALDI‐MS/MS analysis at the proteomic scale in terms of peptide detection and sequence coverage. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(methylmethacrylate)/silica nanocomposites: Study of the interphase by solid‐state NMR and structure/properties relationships

Organic/inorganic nanocomposites were synthesized from poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and properly modified silica nanoparticles by in situ polymerization. Methacryloylpropyltrimethoxysilane was selected as nanoparticle surface modifier because it is characterized by unsaturated end groups available to radical reactions, making possible to suppose their participation in the acrylic monomer polymerization. As a result of the above hypothesized reactions, a phase constituted by polyacrylic chains grafted onto modified silica surface was isolated. ²⁹Si and ¹³C solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance experiments permitted to analyze this phase in terms of composition and chain mobility as well as to highlight interaction mechanisms occurring between growing PMMA oligoradicals and functional groups onto silica surface. It was demonstrated that this PMMA grafted onto silica surface acts as an effective coupling agent and assures a good dispersion of nanoparticles as well as a strong nanoparticle/matrix interfacial adhesion. As a result of strong interactions occurring between phases, a significant increase of the glass transition temperature was recorded. Finally, the abrasion resistance of PMMA in the hybrids was significantly improved as a result of a different abrasion propagation mechanism induced by silica particles thus overcoming one of the most serious PMMA drawback. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Synthesis and chiroptical properties of (naphthyl)ethylidene ketals of carbohydrates in solution and solid state

1,3-Dioxolane- and dioxane-type (1- and 2-naphthyl)ethylidene ketals of p-methoxyphenyl α-l-rhamnopyranoside and β-d-glucopyranoside were prepared and their stereochemistry studied by solution and solid-state circular dichroism, X-ray diffraction, and coupled-oscillator CD calculations on the solid-state and MMFF-calculated geometries. Intermolecular exciton-coupled interactions between the nearby aromatic chromophores in the solid state and different conformers in solution and solid state could be identified as the main reason for the difference between solution and solid-state CDs.     

Growth and remodeling in highly stressed solid tumors

Meccanica - Growing biological media develop residual stresses to make compatible elastic and inelastic growth-induced deformations, which in turn remodel the tissue properties modifying the actual...     

Misenine,a Novel Macrocyclic Alkaloid with an Unusual Skeleton from the Mediterranean Sponge Reniera sp

PolycycJic marine alkaloids containing 3-alkylpyridine or partially reduced 3-alkylpyridine as basic building blocks represent an emerging and intriguing group of bioactive natural products from marine sponges. Since halitoxin,² the first example of this kind of alkaloid, was reported in 1978, many related alkaloids have been discovered from sponges of the order Haplosclerida. All of these alkaloids, in spite of formally exhibiting quite different frameworks, could biogeneticaliy derive from bis-3-alkylpyridine or reduced bis-3-alkylpyridine units. In the last decade, the knowledge of this fascinating group of compounds has increased remarkably. A recent review has exhaustively studied occurrence, distribution, plausible biogenetic origin and relatedness, as well as biological activities, of 3-alkylpyridine derived marine alkaloids.³