Streamlined process for the chemical synthesis of RNA using 2'-O-thionocarbamate-protected nucleoside phosphoramidites in the solid phase

An improved method for the chemical synthesis of RNA was developed utilizing a streamlined method for the preparation of phosphoramidite monomers and a single-step deprotection of the resulting oligoribonucleotide product using 1,2-diamines under anhydrous conditions. The process is compatible with most standard heterobase protection and employs a 2'-O-(1,1-dioxo-1λ(6)-thiomorpholine-4-carbothioate) as a unique 2'-hydroxyl protective group. Using this approach, it was demonstrated that the chemical synthesis of RNA can be as simple and robust as the chemical synthesis of DNA.     

Pressure-induced order transition in nanodot-forming diblock copolymers at the air/water interface

Understanding and controlling the processes in block copolymer (BC) monolayers at the air/water interface during surface area compression is a key issue for producing ultrathin films of predetermined morphology with well-defined order and known dimensions. Langmuir isotherms of nanodot-forming BC monolayers generally display a plateau indicative of a 2D phase transition, which has been the subject of various interpretations in the literature. Here, based on investigations of Langmuir-Blodgett and Langmuir-Schaefer nanodot films of PS-P4VP mixed with 3-n-pentadecylphenol (PDP), we show by atomic force microscopy (AFM) that it involves a change in nanodot packing order (from quasi-hexagonal to quasi-square), argued to be a general phenomenon for nanodot BC monolayers. It is accompanied by system-specific conformational changes (as discussed in previous literature), which, in the present case, implicate PDP alkyl chain ordering, as deduced previously from in situ infrared data and indirectly supported here by AFM imaging.     

Fourier transform heteronuclear magnetic triple resonance in complex spin systems—III: Symmetrical ditertiary phosphine complexes of group VI metal carbonyls

Magnetic multiple resonance experiments of the types ¹³C-{³¹P, ¹H}, ¹³C{¹H} and ³¹P{¹⁸³W, ¹H} have been used to determine the magnitudes and signs of PC and PP coupling constants in the symmetrical complexes LM(CO)₄ (L = Ph₂P(CH₂)_nPPh₂, Ph₂PN(H)PPh₂, (Ph₂P)₂CCH₂, cis-Ph₂PCHCHPPh₂; M = Cr, Mo, W; n = 1–4). A knowledge of the signs of the couplings shows that they display a systematic pattern of behaviour according to metal atom and ring size and this may have diagnostic value. ¹³C, ³¹P and ¹⁸³W chemical shifts are also reported.     

Appearance of a relativistically rotating disk

The appearance of a rotating disk, as perceived by a corotating observer in accordance with two operational procedures is discussed, and the results compared. It is noted that naive generalizations of operational procedures which correctly represent the disk geometry when stationary lead to mutually contradictory pictures when the disk rotates.     

Pi-interaction tuning of the active site properties of metalloproteins

The influence of pi-interactions with a His ligand have been investigated in a family of copper-containing redox metalloproteins. The Met16Phe and Met16Trp pseudoazurin, and Leu12Phe spinach and Leu14Phe Phormidium laminosum plastocyanin variants possess active-site pi-contacts between the introduced residue and His81 and His87/92 respectively. The striking overlap of the side chain of Phe16 in the Met16Phe variant and that of Met16 in wild type pseudoazurin identifies that this position provides an important second coordination sphere interaction in both cases. His-ligand protonation and dissociation from Cu(I) occurs in the wild type proteins resulting in diminished redox activity, providing a [H(+)]-driven switch for regulating electron transfer. The introduced pi-interaction has opposing effects on the pKa for the His ligand in pseudoazurin and plastocyanin due to subtle differences in the pi-contact, stabilizing the coordinated form of pseudoazurin whereas in plastocyanin protonation and dissociation is favored. Replacement of Pro36, a residue that has been suggested to facilitate structural changes upon His ligand protonation, with a Gly, has little effect on the pKa of His87 in spinach plastocyanin. The mutations at Met16 have a significant influence on the reduction potential of pseudoazurin. Electron self-exchange is enhanced, whereas association with the physiological partner, nitrite reductase, is only affected by the Met16Phe mutation, but kcat is halved in both the Met16Phe and Met16Trp variants. Protonation of the His ligand is the feature most affected by the introduction of a pi-interaction.     

Confirmatory analysis of malachite green, leucomalachite green, crystal violet and leucocrystal violet in salmon by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A method has been developed to analyse for malachite green (MG), leucomalachite green (LMG), crystal violet (CV) and leucocrystal violet (LCV) residues in salmon. Salmon samples were extracted with acetonitrile:McIIIvain pH 3 buffer (90:10 v/v), sample extracts were purified on a Bakerbond strong cation exchange solid phase extraction cartridge. Aliquots of the extracts were analysed by LC-MS/MS. The method was validated in salmon, according to the criteria defined in Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. The decision limit (CCalpha) was 0.17, 0.15, 0.35 and 0.17 microg kg(-1), respectively, for MG, LMG, CV and LCV and for the detection capability (CCbeta) values of 0.30, 0.35, 0.80 and 0.32 microg kg(-1), respectively, were obtained. Fortifying salmon samples (n=6) in three separate assays, show the accuracy to be between 77 and 113% for MG, LMG, LCV and CV. The precision of the method, expressed as RSD values for the within-laboratory reproducibility, for MG, LMG and LCV at the three levels of fortification (1, 1.5 and 2.0 microg kg(-1)), was less than 13%. For CV a more variable precision was obtained, with RSD values ranging between 20 and 25%.     

Cellular integration and vascularisation promoted by a resorbable, particulate-leached, cross-linked poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffold

Flexible, strong scaffolds were created by crosslinking PCL with 1,6‐hexamethylenediisocyanate, using paraffin beads as a porogen. Particulate leaching generated homogeneous scaffolds with interconnected spherical pores of 5–200 µm. Subcutaneous implantation in rats for 3 months resulted in minimal scaffold resorption and a non‐inflammatory regenerative host response, with complete infiltration by alternatively‐activated CD68⁺ macrophages. In addition, scaffolds were populated extensively along microfractures by a stromal matrix, which was highly vascularised and contained a subset of stromal cells that expressed the anti‐inflammatory CD163 antigen. Such microfractures may be an important physical feature for directing stromal integration and vascularisation events.

     

How ion properties determine the stability of a lipase enzyme in ionic liquids: a molecular dynamics study

The influence of eight different ionic liquid (IL) solvents on the stability of the lipase Candida antarctica lipase B (CAL-B) is investigated with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Considered ILs contain cations that are based either on imidazolium or guanidinium as well as nitrate, tetrafluoroborate or hexafluorophosphate anions. Partial unfolding of CAL-B is observed during high-temperature MD simulations and related changes of CAL-B regarding its radius of gyration, surface area, secondary structure, amount of solvent close to the backbone and interaction strength with the ILs are evaluated. CAL-B stability is influenced primarily by anions in the order NO(3)(-)? BF(4)(-) < PF(6)(-) of increasing stability, which agrees with experiments. Cations influence protein stability less than anions but still substantially. Long decyl side chains, polar methoxy groups and guanidinium-based cations destabilize CAL-B more than short methyl groups, other non-polar groups and imidazolium-based cations, respectively. Two distinct causes for CAL-B destabilization are identified: a destabilization of the protein surface is facilitated mostly by strong Coulomb interactions of CAL-B with anions that exhibit a localized charge and strong polarization as well as with polar cation groups. Surface instability is characterized by an unraveling of α-helices and an increase of surface area, radius of gyration and protein-IL total interaction strength of CAL-B, all of which describe a destabilization of the folded protein state. On the other hand, a destabilization of the protein core is facilitated when direct core-IL interactions are feasible. This is the case when long alkyl chains are involved or when particularly hydrophobic ILs induce major conformational changes that enable ILs direct access to the protein core. This core instability is characterized by a disintegration of β-sheets, diffusion of ions into CAL-B and increasing protein-IL van der Waals interactions. This process describes a stabilization of the unfolded protein state. Both of these processes reduce the folding free energy and thus destabilize CAL-B. The results of this work clarify the impact of ions on CAL-B stabilization. An extrapolation of the observed trends enables proposing novel ILs in which protein stability could be enhanced further.