Direct monitoring of metal ion transfer between two trafficking proteins

To avoid the toxic effects of both essential and nonessential metal ions, cells elaborate a variety of metal ion trafficking proteins that regulate metal ion mobility. While structures of several trafficking proteins have been determined, kinetic characterization of metal ion transfer between cognate protein partners and the factors controlling transfer has lagged behind, in part due to a limitation on methods to monitor the rapid transfer. In this Communication we report studies on the kinetics of Hg2+ transfer between separately expressed components of the flavoenzyme mercuric ion reductase (MerA) that take advantage of the sensitivity of the flavin fluorescence to the charge state of a cysteine thiol in the Hg2+ binding pathway. The thiolate form of C558 in the Tn501 MerA partially quenches the fluorescence of the oxidized enzyme. Protonation or binding of Hg2+ to the thiolate increases the fluorescence, providing a sensitive probe for kinetic analysis of the Hg2+ binding reaction. The kinetics of Hg2+ transfer in both directions between the cysteine pair of the separately expressed N-terminal domain and the C-terminal cysteines (C558, C559) of the catalytic core are presented, along with a model describing the overall process.     

Using a non-invasive stable isotope tracer to measure the absorption of water in humans

The development of solutions that prevent dehydration or promote adequate re-hydration play a vital role in preventing fatigue during exercise, however, the methods commonly used to assess the hydration ability of such solutions are invasive and often assess the components of absorption separately. This paper describes using a non-invasive deuterium tracer technique that assesses gastric emptying and intestinal absorption simultaneously to evaluate the uptake of water during rest and exercise. The kinetics of absorption are further examined by mathematical modelling of the data generated. For the rest group, 0.05 g/kg of body weight of deuterium, contained in gelatine capsules, was ingested with ordinary tap water and saliva samples were collected every 5 min for one hour while the subject remained seated. The deuterium was administered as above for the exercise group but sample collection was during one hour of exercise on a treadmill at 55% of the subject's maximum heart rate. The enrichment data for each subject were mathematically modelled and the parameters obtained were compared across groups using an independent samples t-test. Compared with the rest condition, the exercise group showed delayed absorption of water as indicated by significant differences for the modelling parameters t2, t1/2, maximum absorption rate and solution absorption amount at t1. Labelling with a deuterium tracer is a good measure of the relative rate ingested fluids are absorbed by the body. Mathematical modelling of the data generates rates of maximum absorption and allows calculation of the percentage of the solution that is absorbed at any given time during the testing period.     

Use of an automated image processing program to quantify recombinant adenovirus particles.

Electron microscopy has a pivotal role as an analytical tool in pharmaceutical research. However, digital image data have proven to be too large for efficient quantitative analysis. We describe here the development and application of an automated image processing (AIP) program that rapidly quantifies shape measurements of recombinant adenovirus (rAd) obtained from digitized field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images. The program was written using the macro-recording features within Image-Pro Plus software. The macro program, which is linked to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, consists of a series of subroutines designed to automatically measure rAd vector objects from the FESEM images. The application and utility of this macro program has enabled us to rapidly and efficiently analyze very large data sets of rAd samples while minimizing operator time.     

Cyclic Voltammetry in a Perfluorocarbon Emulsion Blood Substitute

Cyclic voltammetry in a perfluorocarbon emulsion based blood substitute (PEBS) was evaluated. The intent was to determine how PEBS affects the voltammetry of four representative electroactive compounds: potassium ferricyanide, ruthenium(II) trisbipyridine (rutris), hydroquinone, and 2,6‐dichloroindophenol (DCIP). Voltammograms in 0–20% PEBS‐Tris buffer mixtures are affected by PEBS, but reasonably well‐defined voltammograms are obtained in as much as 20% v/v. This report also shows that PEBS has only a small effect on amperometric detection of the reaction between DCIP and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), which has importance in clinical homogeneous immunoassays. Results support continued exploration of voltammetry/amperometry for quantitative analysis in this medium.     

Ultraviolet photochemistry of ethane: implications for the atmospheric chemistry of the gas giants

Chemical processing in the stratospheres of the gas giants is driven by incident vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light. Ethane is an important constituent in the atmospheres of the gas giants in our solar system. The present work describes translational spectroscopy studies of the VUV photochemistry of ethane using tuneable radiation in the wavelength range 112 ≤ λ ≤ 126 nm from a free electron laser and event-triggered, fast-framing, multi-mass imaging detection methods. Contributions from at least five primary photofragmentation pathways yielding CH₂, CH₃ and/or H atom products are demonstrated and interpreted in terms of unimolecular decay following rapid non-adiabatic coupling to the ground state potential energy surface. These data serve to highlight parallels with methane photochemistry and limitations in contemporary models of the photoinduced stratospheric chemistry of the gas giants. The work identifies additional photochemical reactions that require incorporation into next generation extraterrestrial atmospheric chemistry models which should help rationalise hitherto unexplained aspects of the atmospheric ethane/acetylene ratios revealed by the Cassini–Huygens fly-by of Jupiter.

The vacuum ultraviolet photodissociation dynamics of ethane provide clues for modelling the atmospheric chemistry of the gas giants.     

INDUCTION OF CHROMOSOME ABERRATIONS IN ICR 2A FROG CELLS EXPOSED TO265–313 nm MONOCHROMATIC ULTRAVIOLET WAVELENGTHS and PHOTOREACTIVATING LIGHT

Abstract— Exposure of ICR 2A cells to either 265, 289, 302 or 313 nm monochromatic UV wavelengths caused the induction of chromosome aberrations with chromatid gaps and breaks being the most common type of aberration detected. Treatment of U V-irradiated cells with photoreactivating light (PRL) resulted in a lower yield of aberrations demonstrating that pyrimidine dimers are involved in the formation of chromosome aberrations induced by the UV wavelengths tested. However, the decrease in the level of aberrations resulting from PRL treatment of 313 nm-irradiated cells was significantly less than for the other wavelengths indicating that non-dimer photoproducts may have played an important additional role in the induction of chromosome aberrations by this UV wavelength.     

Synthesis of polymerically bound catecholcarboxamide chelators for iron (III)

Tris(catecholcarboxamide) ligands were covalently linked to poly(vinyl amine—vinyl sulfonate sodium salt), and the iron binding capacity of the resultant polymers was found to exceed that of transferrin.     

Comprehensive thermodynamic characterization of the metal-hydrogen bond in a series of cobalt-hydride complexes

A detailed structural and thermodynamic study of a series of cobalt-hydride complexes is reported. This includes structural studies of [H(2)Co(dppe)(2)](+), HCo(dppe)(2), [HCo(dppe)(2)(CH(3)CN)](+), and [Co(dppe)(2)(CH(3)CN)](2+), where dppe = bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane. Equilibrium measurements are reported for one hydride- and two proton-transfer reactions. These measurements and the determinations of various electrochemical potentials were used to determine 11 of 12 possible homolytic and heterolytic solution Co-H bond dissociation free energies of [H(2)Co(dppe)(2)](+) and its monohydride derivatives. These values provide a useful framework for understanding observed and potential reactions of these complexes. These reactions include the disproportionation of [HCo(dppe)(2)](+) to form [Co(dppe)(2)](+) and [H(2)Co(dppe)(2)](+), the reaction of [Co(dppe)(2)](+) with H(2), the protonation and deprotonation reactions of the various hydride species, and the relative ability of the hydride complexes to act as hydride donors.     

Nature of the oxomolybdenum-thiolate pi-bond: implications for Mo-S bonding in sulfite oxidase and xanthine oxidase

The electronic structure of cis,trans-(L-N(2)S(2))MoO(X) (where L-N(2)S(2) = N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-bis(2-mercaptophenyl)ethylenediamine and X = Cl, SCH(2)C(6)H(5), SC(6)H(4)-OCH(3), or SC(6)H(4)CF(3)) has been probed by electronic absorption, magnetic circular dichroism, and resonance Raman spectroscopies to determine the nature of oxomolybdenum-thiolate bonding in complexes possessing three equatorial sulfur ligands. One of the phenyl mercaptide sulfur donors of the tetradentate L-N(2)S(2) chelating ligand, denoted S(180), coordinates to molybdenum in the equatorial plane such that the OMo-S(180)-C(phenyl) dihedral angle is approximately 180 degrees, resulting in a highly covalent pi-bonding interaction between an S(180) p orbital and the molybdenum d(xy) orbital. This highly covalent bonding scheme is the origin of an intense low-energy S --> Mo d(xy) bonding-to-antibonding LMCT transition (E(max) approximately 16000 cm(-)(1), epsilon approximately 4000 M(-)(1) cm(-)(1)). Spectroscopically calibrated bonding calculations performed at the DFT level of theory reveal that S(180) contributes approximately 22% to the HOMO, which is predominantly a pi antibonding molecular orbital between Mo d(xy) and the S(180) p orbital oriented in the same plane. The second sulfur donor of the L-N(2)S(2) ligand is essentially nonbonding with Mo d(xy) due to an OMo-S-C(phenyl) dihedral angle of approximately 90 degrees. Because the formal Mo d(xy) orbital is the electroactive or redox orbital, these Mo d(xy)-S 3p interactions are important with respect to defining key covalency contributions to the reduction potential in monooxomolybdenum thiolates, including the one- and two-electron reduced forms of sulfite oxidase. Interestingly, the highly covalent Mo-S(180) pi bonding interaction observed in these complexes is analogous to the well-known Cu-S(Cys) pi bond in type 1 blue copper proteins, which display electronic absorption and resonance Raman spectra that are remarkably similar to these monooxomolybdenum thiolate complexes. Finally, the presence of a covalent Mo-S pi interaction oriented orthogonal to the MOO bond is discussed with respect to electron-transfer regeneration in sulfite oxidase and Mo=S(sulfido) bonding in xanthine oxidase.