Biopolymers for biocatalysis: Structure and catalytic mechanism of hydroxynitrile lyases

Hydroxynitrile lyases catalyze the reversible cleavage of α-cyanohydrins to yield hydrocyanic acid and the corresponding aldehyde or ketone. Besides its biological interest, this class of enzymes is also of relevance in industrial biocatalysis for the enantioselective condensation of HCN with a variety of aldehydes and ketones. Several distinctly different types of hydroxynitrile lyases (HNLs) are known, which must have originated through convergent evolution from different ancestral proteins. Three-dimensional structural data are known for three classes of hydroxynitrile lyases. Insights into the reaction mechanisms emerged from a combination of structural, enzyme kinetic, spectroscopic, and molecular modeling data. For all three types of HNLs, mechanisms involving acid–base catalysis were proposed. In members belonging to the α,β-hydrolase type, the amino acid residues of the catalytic triad presumably act as general acid/base, whereas for flavine adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-dependent HNLs a single histidine residue fulfills this function. In the third type of HNL—which is related to carboxypeptidase—acid–base catalysis involves the carboxylate of the C-terminal residue. The catalytic relevance of a positive electrostatic potential in the active site was suggested in some of the mechanistic proposals. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 479–486, 2004     

Interface analysis of the system Si/YBa2Cu3O7?x

Summary The influence of different preparation conditions and substrate surface orientations on the superconducting properties of thin YBa₂Cu₃O_7–x (YBCO) films on silicon was studied. Comparative electrical and surface spectroscopic measurements were performed. SAM and SIMS depth profile analysis show an enrichment of barium at the interface between the superconductor and silicon for samples with T_c<76 K. Comparison with XPS data obtained for thin silicon films on YBCO indicates the formation of barium and yttrium silicates at the interface under these conditions.     

4-Amino-imidazole durchThorpe-Cyclisierung

The alkylation of arylaminomethylenecyanamides1 or cyano-imidothiocarbamates2 with -halogen carbonyl compounds followed by base catalysed cyclization yields substituted 4-amino-imidazoles4. Imidazo[4,5-d]pyrimidones5, 6 and imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines7 can be obtained from4.     

Formulas for \bar \beta parameters and their limitations

The operator relationship p=[r, h] between linear momentum, position vector and Hamiltonian is the basis for an investigation of formulas for ¦ atomic orbitals is discussed. Formulas for parameters useful in extended Hückel methods are presented.

---

Zusammenfassung Die Operatorengleichung p=[r, h] zwischen Impuls, Ortsvektor und Hamiltonoperator ist die Grundlage für eine Untersuchung von Formeln für -Parameter in der erweiterten Hückel[1]- und CNDO [2]-Methode. Das Eichproblem dieser Gleichung in Verbindung mit abgebrochenen Entwicklungen für Matrixelemente ¦P¦ über Atomfunktionen wird diskutiert. Nützliche Formeln für die erweiterte Hückel-Methode werden abgeleitet.

---

Résumé La relation entre opérateurs moment linéaire, position et hamiltonien: p=[r, h] sert de base à une étude de formules pour les paramètres dans les méthodes de type Hückel étendu [1] et CNDO [2]. Le problème de jauge de cette équation est discuté par rapport au développement limité des éléments de matrice ¦P¦ dans une base d'orbitales atomiques. Présentation de formules pour les paramètres utiles dans les méthodes Hückel étendu.

     

Stereochemie von Metallocenen, 40. Mitt.

Starting from optically active methylferrocene-- and--carboxylic acids (1 a and1 b) of known absolute configuration and enantiomeric purity about 15 chiral ferrocenes (of each isomeric series— and ) were obtained by suitable ligand transformations. Thereby (almost) all possible chiral combinations of the ligands CH₃, COOH (COO^–), COOCH₃, CN and NH₂ (NH₃ ⁺) were accessible which are necessary for a potential test of approximations of chirality functions for compounds with basic symmetry C_5v. The chiroptical properties of these disubstituted ferrocenes are recorded.Preliminary tests using a shortened Ansatz revealed large discrepancies between calculated () and found [M]_D-values. Possible reasons for this failure are discussed.

---

---

61. Mitt. über Ferrocenderivate

---

39. Mitt.:A. Meyer, H. Neudeck undK. Schlögl, Chem. Ber.110, 1403 (1977).

---

60. Mitt.:V. Rapi, K. Schlögl undB. Steinitz, J. Organometal. Chem.94, 87 (1975).     

Untersuchungen über Enzymaktivitäten der Leberzelle bei Vitamin-E-Mangel

The enzymatic elongation of acyl-CoA esters by malonyl-CoA, respectively de novo synthesis of fatty acids from malonyl-CoA by liver microsomes and non particulate fraction of α-tocopherol deficient rats is diminished versus controls. However, liver microsomes of vitamin E deficient rats synthesize more eicosatetraenic acid from γ-linolenic acid and more γ-linolenic acid from linolic acid than do those of tocopherol supplemented animals. It has often been shown that the liver phosphatides of tocopherol deficient rats contain more arachidonic acid than those of controls, a fact which can be explained now by increased activity of the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of arachidonic acid. Certain polyenic fatty acids are more rapidly synthesized in the absence of naturally occuring antioxidants. Some enzymes of the respiratory chain have also been examined. No vitamin E deficiency effect has been found on enzymes such as gluconate-6-P-dehydrogenase, isocitrate-dehydrogenase, malate-dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase contained in the non particulate fraction. Sonicated mitochondria of tocopherol deficient rats show a greater activity towards cytochrome, oxydase and β-hydroxy-acetyl-CoA-dehydrogenase than controls, possibly due to ultrastractural alteration of this particle.     

Die Schmelzdiagramme der Systeme CsN3/Zn(N3)2 und KN3/Zn(N3)2

The phase diagrams of the systems CsN₃/Zn(N₃)₂ and KN₃/Zn(N₃)₂ have been obtained employing the microscopic technique ofL. Kofler andA. Kofler. Within the system CsN₃/Zn(N₃)₂ three eutectics at 148°C, 142°C, and 210°C were found. Besides Cs₂Zn(N₃)₄, melting incongruently in the interval 153°C to 170°C, there exist two further compounds of the most probable composition Cs₃Zn₂(N₃)₇ and CsZn₂(N₃)₅, melting congruently at 170°C and 210°C, resp. In the system KN₃/Zn(N₃)₂ there exist two eutectics at 203°C and 172°C and two compounds, one of them, i.e. K₂Zn(N₃)₄, melting congruently at 206°C, the other one, with composition KZn₃(N₃)₇ or KZn₄(N₃)₉, melting incongruently at 210°C.

---

---

Mit 8 Abbildungen

---

Herrn Professor Dr.Heribert Grubitsch zum 70. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Synthesis of non-k-region ortho-quinones of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from cyclic ketones

Non-K-region $\text{o}$-quinones of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are prepared in four steps from cyclic ketones via dehydrogenation of tetrahydrodiols with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone.