Photosensitized DNA damage and its protection via a novel mechanism

UVA, which accounts for approximately 95% of solar UV radiation, can cause mutations and skin cancer. Based mainly on the results of our study, this paper summarizes the mechanisms of UVA-induced DNA damage in the presence of various photosensitizers, and also proposes a new mechanism for its chemoprevention. UVA radiation induces DNA damage at the 5'-G of 5'-GG-3' sequence in double-stranded DNA through Type I mechanism, which involves electron transfer from guanine to activated photosensitizers. Endogenous sensitizers such as riboflavin and pterin derivatives and an exogenous sensitizer nalidixic acid mediate DNA photodamage via this mechanism. The major Type II mechanism involves the generation of singlet oxygen from photoactivated sensitizers, including hematoporphyrin and a fluoroquinolone antibacterial lomefloxacin, resulting in damage to guanines without preference for consecutive guanines. UVA also produces superoxide anion radical by an electron transfer from photoexcited sensitizers to oxygen (minor Type II mechanism), and DNA damage is induced by reactive species generated through the interaction of hydrogen peroxide with metal ions. The involvement of these mechanisms in UVA carcinogenesis is discussed. In addition, we found that xanthone derivatives inhibited DNA damage caused by photoexcited riboflavin via the quenching of its excited triplet state. It is thus considered that naturally occurring quenchers including xanthone derivatives may act as novel chemopreventive agents against photocarcinogenesis.     

Label-free molecular beacon system based on DNAs containing abasic sites and fluorescent ligands that bind abasic sites

A new class of label-free molecular beacon (MB) system based on DNA strands that contain abasic (AP) sites (AP-DNA) and adopt stem-loop structures, in combination with fluorescent ligands that bind these AP sites, has been developed. Unlike a conventional MB, which requires covalent labeling of the MB with a fluorophore and a quencher, the developed system (APMB) does not require covalent attachment of signal transduction units. Detailed sensing functions of a series of APMB systems were examined with the aid of the fluorescent ligand named ATMND to provide insight into the design strategy for APMB systems. The effects of the stem length and the position of the AP site in the stem moiety on the fluorescence response of the APMB system were examined. Genotyping of a G/C SNP of PCR amplification products was successfully demonstrated with the APMB system and blue-fluorescent ATMND as a ligand. The APMB system was further extended to a system that utilized green-fluorescent lumiflavin.     

Hydrogen bonding effects on the wavenumbers and absorption intensities of the OH fundamental and the first, second, and third overtones of phenol and 2,6-dihalogenated phenols studied by visible/near-infrared/infrared spectroscopy

Visible, near-infrared (NIR) and IR spectra in the 15600-2500 cm(-1) region were measured for phenol and 2,6-difluorophenol, 2,6-dichlorophenol, and 2,6-dibromophenol in n-hexane, CCl(4), CHCl(3) and CH(2)Cl(2) to study hydrogen bonding effects and solvent dependences of wavenumbers and absorption intensities of the fundamental and the first, second, and third overtones of OH stretching vibrations. A band shift of the OH stretching vibrations from a gas state to a solution state (solvent shift) was plotted versus vibrational quantum number (v = 0, 1, 2 and 3), and it was found that there is a linear relation between the solvent shift and the vibrational quantum number. The slope of solvent shift decreases in the order of phenol, 2,6-difluorophenol and 2,6-dichlorophenol. For all of the solute molecules, the slope becomes larger with the increase in the dielectric constant of the solvents. The relative intensities of the OH stretching vibrations of phenol in CCl(4), CHCl(3), and CH(2)Cl(2) against the intensity of the corresponding OH vibration in n-hexane increase in the fundamental and the second overtone but decrease in the first and third overtones; the relative intensities show so-called "parity". The parity is more prominent for phenol that has an intermolecular hydrogen bonding than for 2,6-dihalogenated phenols that have an intramolecular hydrogen bond. These observations suggest that the intermolecular hydrogen bond between the OH group and the Cl atom plays a key role for the parity and that the intermolecular interaction between the solutes and the solvents (solvent effects) does not have a significant role in the parity.     

Shape- and size-controlled synthesis in hard templates: sophisticated chemical reduction for mesoporous monocrystalline platinum nanoparticles

Here we report a novel hard-templating strategy for the synthesis of mesoporous monocrystalline Pt nanoparticles (NPs) with uniform shapes and sizes. Mesoporous Pt NPs were successfully prepared through controlled chemical reduction using ascorbic acid by employing 3D bicontinuous mesoporous silica (KIT-6) and 2D mesoporous silica (SBA-15) as a hard template. The particle size could be controlled by changing the reduction time. Interestingly, the Pt replicas prepared from KIT-6 showed polyhedral morphology. The single crystallinity of the Pt fcc structure coherently extended over the whole particle.     

Multifunctional Core‐Shell‐Corona‐Type Polymeric Micelles for Anticancer Drug‐Delivery and Imaging

We have developed core‐shell‐corona‐type polymeric micelles that can integrate multiple functions in one system, including the capability of accommodating hydrophobic dyes into core and hydrophilic drug into the shell, as well as pH‐triggered drug‐release. The neutral and hydrophilic corona sterically stabilizes the multifunctional polymeric micelles in aqueous solution. The mineralization of calcium phosphate (CaP) on the PAA domain not only enhances the diagnostic efficacy of organic dyes, but also works as a diffusion barrier for the controlled release.     

Rhodium-Catalyzed Highly Diastereo- and Enantioselective Synthesis of a Configurationally Stable S-Shaped Double Helicene-Like Molecule

An S-shaped double helicene-like molecule (>99 % ee), possessing stable helical chirality, has been synthesized by the rhodium(I)/difluorphos complex-catalyzed highly diastereo- and enantioselective intramolecular double [2+2+2] cycloaddition of a 2-naphthol- and benzene-linked hexayne. The collision between two terminal naphthalene rings destabilizes the helical chirality of the S-shaped double helicene-like molecule, but the introduction of two additional fused benzene rings significantly increases the configurational stability. Thus, no epimerization and racemization were observed even at 100 °C. The enantiopure S-shaped double helicene-like molecule forms a trimer through the multiple C−H⋅⋅⋅π and C−H⋅⋅⋅O interactions in the solid-state. The trimers stack to form columnar packing structures, in which neighboring stacks have opposite dipole directions. The accumulation of helical structures in the same direction in the S-shaped double helicene-like molecule enhanced the chiroptical properties.     

Stereoselective Syntheses of all the Possible Stereoisomers of Coronafacic Acid

An efficient and stereoselective syntheses of all the possible stereoisomers of coronafacic acid (CFA) has been developed. The stereochemistries of C3a and C7a were controlled in a diastereoselective Diels-Alder type cycloaddition using a chiral auxiliary. CFA and 6-epi-CFA were synthesized by hydrogenation of a common intermediate. During the synthesis of 6-epi-CFA, we established that its cis-fused configuration is important for the introduction of C4-C5 double bond by dehydration. This report is the first practical synthesis of both 6-epi-CFA, and its enantiomer.     

Total synthesis of optically active lycopladine A by utilizing diastereoselective protection of carbonyl group in a 1,3-cyclohexanedione derivative

We successfully synthesized two enantiomers of bicyclic enones, (7R,7aR)- and (7S,7aS)-9, from the hemiacetal 2a, which we first synthesized from the symmetrical diketone 1a via diastereoselective carbon-oxygen bond formation between one of the carbonyl groups and the chiral alcohol on the C2 side chain in a 2,2-disubstituted 1,3-cycloalkanedione derivative. We also report the total synthesis of natural (+)-lycopladine A [(+)-6] from (7R,7aR)-9 and the formal synthesis of unnatural (-)-lycopladine A [(-)-6] from (7S,7aS)-9.     

Enantioselective/anion-selective incorporation of tris(ethylenediamine) complexes into 2D coordination spaces between tripalladium(II) supramolecular layers with D-penicillaminate

The formation of a cocrystallized coordination compound, [Pd(3)(D-pen)(3)](2)·[M(en)(3)](ClO(4))(3) (D-H(2)pen = D-penicillamine; M = Co(III) or Rh(III)), from [Pd(3)(D-pen)(3)] and [M(en)(3)](ClO(4))(3) is reported. In this compound, only the Δ-configurational [M(en)(3)](3+) cations were incorporated when its racemic (Δ/Λ) isomer was employed. Besides this enantioselective incorporation of complex cations, this compound was found to show the selective incorporation of ClO(4)(-) as the anion species.