MgF(3)(-) as a transition state analog of phosphoryl transfer

The formation of complexes between small G proteins and certain of their effectors can be facilitated by aluminum fluorides. Solution studies suggest that magnesium may be able to replace aluminum in such complexes. We have determined the crystal structure of RhoA.GDP bound to RhoGAP in the presence of Mg(2+) and F(-) but without Al(3+). The metallofluoride adopts a trigonal planar arrangement instead of the square planar structure of AlF(4)(-). We have confirmed that these crystals contain magnesium and not aluminum by proton-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy. The structure adopted by GDP.MgF(-) possesses the stereochemistry and approximate charge expected for the transition state. We suggest that MgF3(-) may be the reagent of choice for studying phosphoryl transfer reactions.     

Relative molecular mass information from aliphatic nitro compounds: A chemical ionization study

The mass spectra of a number of aliphatic nitro compounds have been studied using electron Ionization (EI) and a variety of chemical Ionization (CI) techniques in attempts to obtain relative molecular mass information. The use of positive ion ammonia chemical Ionization techniques gave very satisfactory results, providing abundant [M + NH4]⁺ ions, not only from both primary and secondary nitro compounds, but also from the much more labile tertiary nitro compounds. However, the use of methane and isobutane positive ion CI or EI conditions resulted in facile fragmentation with little relative molecular mass information being made available. Negative ion CI using methane, isobutane or ammonia as moderating gases all gave abundant [M ? 1]^? ions with primary and secondary nitro compounds but at much reduced sensitivity.     

EFFICACY OF PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY ON ORIGINAL AND RECURRENT RAT MAMMARY TUMORS

Abstract— Photodynamic therapy has demonstrated efficacy toward primary, metastatic and recurrent human tumors. Here, we investigated the ability of photodynamic therapy, using Photofrin, to inhibit growth of R3230AC mammary adenocarcinomas when tumors were treated as original implants and again as lesions recurring at the initial treatment site. The results demonstrate that both initial implants and lesions recurring after the first photodynamic treatment respond similarly to the same photodynamic therapy protocol, with mean tumor volume doubling times of ˜ 11 days in both cases. Cells cultured from original tumor implants or tumors that recurred after photodynamic treatment accumulate equivalent amounts of [¹⁴C]polyhematoporphyrin. Single cell suspensions prepared from either original or recurrent tumors from animals administered 5 mg/kg Photofrin and exposed to light in vitro displayed comparable phototoxicity. Additionally, examination of tumors by light microscopy revealed no morphological differences between the original tumor implants and the recurrent lesions. Taken together, these data indicate that lesions which recurred at the site of the initial photodynamic treatment were not resistant to a second identical course of photodynamic therapy.     

Measurement of long-range cross-correlation rates using a combination of single- and multiple-quantum NMR spectroscopy in one experiment

A method is described to determine long-range cross-correlations between the modulations of an anisotropic chemical shift (e.g., of a C' carbonyl carbon in a protein) and the fluctuations of a weak long-range dipolar interaction (e.g., in cross-correlation between the same C' carbonyl and the H(N) proton of the neighboring amide group). Such long-range correlations are difficult to measure because the corresponding long-range scalar couplings are so small that Redfield's secular approximation is often violated. The method, which combines features of single- and double-quantum NMR spectroscopy, allows one to cancel the effects of dominant short-range dipolar interactions (e.g., between the CSA of the amide nitrogen N and the dipolar coupling to its attached proton H(N)) and is designed so that the secular approximation is rescued even if the scalar coupling between the long-range dipolar coupling partners is very small. The cross-correlation rates thus determined in ubiquitin cover a wide range because of local motions and variations of the CSA tensors.     

DNA polymerase template interactions probed by degenerate isosteric nucleobase analogs

The development of novel artificial nucleobases and detailed X-ray crystal structures for primer/template/DNA polymerase complexes provide opportunities to assess DNA-protein interactions that dictate specificity. Recent results have shown that base pair shape recognition in the context of DNA polymerase must be considered a significant component. The isosteric azole carboxamide nucleobases (compounds 1-5; ) differ only in the number and placement of nitrogen atoms within a common shape and therefore present unique electronic distributions that are shown to dictate the selectivity of template-directed nucleotide incorporation by DNA polymerases. The results demonstrate how nucleoside triphosphate substrate selection by DNA polymerase is a complex phenomenon involving electrostatic interactions in addition to hydrogen bonding and shape recognition. These azole nucleobase analogs offer unique molecular tools for probing nonbonded interactions dictating substrate selection and fidelity of DNA polymerases.     

Synthesis and characterization of carbohydrate-based phospholipids

Novel carbohydrate-based phospholipids containing two saturated C(12) (dilauroyl ribo-phosphocholine) (DLRPC), C(14) (dimyristoyl ribo-phosphocholine) (DMRPC), and C(20) (diarachadonyl ribo-phosphocholine) (DARPC) carboxylic acid chains were synthesized. The physical properties of the supramolecular structures formed by these compounds were compared to those formed by their direct glycerol analogues dilauroyl phosphocholine (DLPC), dimyristoyl phosphocholine (DMPC), and diarachadonyl phosphocholine (DAPC). Modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) and X-ray diffraction data indicated that with chain lengths < or =14 carbons, the carbohydrate backbone increased the thermal stability of the bilayer below the phase-transition temperature (T(m)) as compared to the glycerol-based lipids. With longer chains (C(20)), the bilayer structure was destabilized as compared to glycerol-based lipids. NMR studies of a DMRPC vesicle dispersion reveal split choline headgroup signals and distinct magnetization transfer effects arising from the "inner" and "outer" surfaces of the bilayer vesicle. Modulated differential scanning calorimetry also demonstrated that glycerol- and carbohydrate-based lipids mix, as evidenced by a single intermediate T(m). In addition, carbohydrate-based lipid/cholesterol mixtures exhibited a decrease in enthalpy with an increase in cholesterol concentration. Unlike glycerol phospholipids, carbohydrate lipids were resistant to enzymatic degradation by phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)).     

THE MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF HAEMATOPORPHYRIN DERIVATIVE, ITS GEL COLUMN FRACTIONS and SOME OF ITS COMPONENTS IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION

Abstract— The average molecular weights of haematoporphyrin derivative (HPD), the fractions of HPD that can he obtained by gel chromatography and of purified haematoporphyrin and protoporphyrin in aqueous solution have been determined by ultracentrifugation. The results show that HPD contains polymeric material with the excluded fraction from the gel column (HPD aggregate) having an average molecular weight of greater than 20000. The two remaining gel column fractions of HPD have lower molecular weights and their similarity indicates that these fractions do not separate because of molecular weight differences. Purified haematoporphyrin has a comparatively low molecular weight in aqueous solution but the data is not capable of discriminating between monomer, dimer or slightly higher oligomer. In contrast, protoporphyrin sediments to the bottom of the centrifuge tube under the conditions of sedimentation equilibrium indicating that it has an average molecular weight considerably greater than that of HPD aggregate.     

Nonabelian orbifolds and the boson-fermion correspondence

For a positive integerl divisible by 8 there is a (bosonic) holomorphic vertex operator algebra (VOA) associated to the spin lattice _l . For a broad class of finite groupsG of automorphisms of we prove the existence and uniqueness of irreducibleg-twisted -modules and establish the modular-invariance of the partition functionsZ(g, h, ) for commuting elements inG. In particular, for any finite group there are infinitely many holomorphic VOAs admittingG for which these properties hold. The proof is facilitated by a boson-fermion correspondence which gives a VOA isomorphism between and a certain fermionic construction, and which extends work of Frenkel and others.Supported by NSA grant MDA904-92-H-3099.Supported by NSF grant DMS-9122030.     

High-Valent Manganese in Polyoxotungstates. 3. Dimanganese Complexes of gamma-Keggin Anions

Dimanganese-substituted gamma-Keggin heteropoly tungstates have been synthesized by reaction of the lacunary species gamma-[(SiO(4))W(10)O(32)](8)(-) with appropriate mixtures of Mn(II) and MnO(4)(-). The crystal structure of [(CH(3))(3)(C(6)H(5))N](4)[(SiO(4))W(10)Mn(III)(2)O(36)H(6)].2CH(3)CN.H(2)O (anion 1) was determined by X-ray diffraction. Crystallographic data: space group P&onemacr;, a = 12.951(3) ?, b = 14.429(3) ?, c = 20.347(4) ?, alpha = 81.95(3) degrees, beta = 88.92(3) degrees, gamma = 67.48(3) degrees, V = 3475.2(13) ?(3), and Z = 2. The final R value is 7.29% for 15861 reflections with I > 2sigma(I). The anion has the anticipated gamma-Keggin structure with virtual C(2)(v)() symmetry. The two Mn cations occupy adjacent, edge-shared octahedra with bridging hydroxo and terminal aqua ligands. Anion 1 can be oxidized and reduced to the corresponding Mn(III)Mn(IV) (2) and Mn(II)(2) (3) species respectively. The magnetic susceptibility of 1 between 2 and 300 K indicates that the Mn(III) cations are antiferromagnetically coupled, with J = -17.0 cm(-)(1) and g = 1.965. No simple magnetic behavior was observed for 2 or 3.