Preparation of copolyesters from diols and bisphenols by the solution polycondensation with TsCl/DMF/Py as a condensing agent

A novel synthetic method for the preparation of copolyesters comprised of diols and bisphenols using tosyl chloride (TsCl)/DMF/pyridine (Py) as a condensing agent has been developed. A variety of combinations of monomers could produce relatively high molecular weight copolymers, and better results were obtained by initial oligomerization of diols followed by bisphenols. In order to demonstrate usefulness of this method, copolymers comprised of IPA/TPA (50/50), bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)terephthalate (BHET),and several bisphenols were prepared and compared to the poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) modified by TPA and 2,2‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)propane (BPA) diacetate in terms of their thermal properties. The length of mesogenic unit segments in the thermotropic IPA/TPA (50/50)‐BHET/ 4,4′‐dihydroxybenzophenone (4,4′‐DHBP) (50/50) copolymer was changed by initial reaction of BHET followed by dropwise addition of 4,4′‐DHBP in the two‐stage polycondensation and also by varying the amounts of BHET used at the initial and final stages in the three‐stage copolycondensation, and the results were studied by NMR and their thermal properties. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1270–1276, 2000     

A B3LYP study on counterpoise-corrected geometry optimizations for hydrated complexes of [K(H2O)n] and [Na(H2O)n]

We report the basis set dependencies and the basis set superposition errors for the hydrated complexes of K⁺ and Na⁺ ions in relation to the recent studies of the KcsA potassium channel. The basis set superposition errors are estimated by the geometry optimizations at the counterpoise-corrected B3LYP level. The counterpoise optimizations alter the hydration distances by about 0.02–0.03 Å. The enthalpies and free energies for K⁺ + n(H₂O) → [K(H₂O)_n]⁺ and Na⁺ + n(H₂O) → [Na(H₂O)_n]⁺ (n = 1–6) are compared between the theoretical and experimental values. The results show that the addition of diffuse functions to K, Na, and O species are effective. However, it is also found that the counterpoise corrections using diffuse functions work so as to underestimate the free energies for the complexes with increasing the hydration number. The stabilization energies in aqueous solution are larger for a Na⁺ ion than for a K⁺ ion, suggesting the contributions of their dehydration processes to the ion selectivity of the KcsA potassium channel. The changes in coordination distance between the isolated [K(H₂O)₈]⁺ and the [K(H₂O)₈]⁺ in the KcsA potassium channel indicate the importance of hydrogen bondings between the first hydration shell and the outer hydration shells.     

Analysis on heat stress-induced hyperphosphorylation of stathmin at serine 37 in Jurkat cells by means of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and tandem mass spectrometry

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and tandem mass spectrometry were successfully used for determination of a phosphorylation site of stathmin induced by heat stress to Jurkat cells of a human T lymphoblastic cell line. The cells were incubated for 30 min at 41 degrees C up to 45 degrees C in a serum free 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) buffered culture medium. The intracellular soluble proteins were separated by 2-DE, and some of the proteins increased their abundance by heat stress. Those proteins were identified to be calmodulin, protein kinase C substrate, thymosin beta-4 and F-actin capping protein beta-subunit by peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). On the contrary, protein phosphatase 2C gamma-isoform, nucleophosmin, translationally controlled tumor protein, Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor-1, eukaryotic translation initiation factors 5A and 3A subunit 2, ubiquitin-like protein SMT 3B and chloride intracellular channel protein-1 were decreased their abundance. A protein spot of M(r) 18,000 and pI 5.9 was markedly increased at temperatures higher than 43 degrees C at which the cells were led to apoptosis. The spot was identified to be stathmin of a signal relay protein which has a function of sequestering microtubule. MALDI-quadrupole ion trap (QIT)-TOF-MS/MS and immunoblotting with a monoclonal antibody specific for a phosphorylation site of stathmin showed that the spot was a phosphorylated stathmin at serine 37 (Ser 37). The phosphorylation was suppressed by treatment of cells with olomoucine of an inhibitor specific for cyclin dependent kinase (Cdk-1). These results strongly suggest that heat stress activates Cdk-1 which phosphorylates Ser 37 on the stathmin molecule. The phosphorylation may cause the functional loss of stathmin for dynamic microtubule assembly and leads Jurkat cells to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed glycine-selective oxidative backbone modification of peptides

The reaction of N,C-protected peptides containing glycine residues with peracetic acid in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst gives -ketoamides derived from the oxidation at the C position of the glycine residues selectively.     

Success or Failure of Chiral Crystallization of Similar Heterocyclic Compounds

Single crystals of two achiral and planar heterocyclic compounds, C₉H₈H₃O(CA1) and C₈H₅NO₂ (CA4), recrystallized from ethanol, were characterized by single crystal X-ray analysis, respectively, and chiral crystallization was observed only for CA1 as P2₁2₁2₁ (# 19), whereas it was not observed for CA4 P2₁/c (# 14). In CA1, as a monohydrate, the hydrogen bonds were pronounced around the water of crystallization (O4), and the planar cyclic sites were arranged in parallel to slightly tilted positions. On the other hand, an anhydride CA4 formed a dimer by hydrogen bonds between adjacent molecules in the crystal, which were aggregated by van der Waals forces and placed in parallel planar cyclic sites.     

The preparation of 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds by photoreaction of ketones in the presence of oxidants

Phenyl alkyl ketones were photo-irradiated in the presence of Cr(VI) or Mn(VII) oxidants to yield 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds regiospecifically while 2-octanone gave a regioisomeric mixture of 2,5-, 2,6-, and 2,7-octadiones.     

Generalized rational identities of subnormal subgroups of skew fields

Let be a skew field with infinite center such that , and let be a non-central subnormal subgroup of the multiplicative group of . Then there are no non-trivial generalized rational identities of . This generalizes a theorem proved by Makar-Limanov.

     

Photoreactivating Enzyme for (6–4) Photoproducts in Cultured Goldfish Cells

We previously reported that when cultured goldfish cells are illuminated with fluorescent light, photorepair ability for both cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and (6–4) photoproducts increased. In the present study, it was found that the duration of the induced photorepair ability for cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers was longer than that for (6–4) photoproducts, suggesting the presence of different photolyases for repair of these two major forms of DNA damage. A gel shift assay was then performed to show the presence of protein(s) binding to (6–4) photoproducts and its dissociation from (6–4) photoproducts under fluorescent light illumination. In addition, at 8 h after fluorescent light illumination of the cell, the binding of pro-tein(s) to (6–4) photoproducts increased. The restriction enzymes that have recognition sites containing TT or TC sequences failed to digest the UV-irradiated DNA pho-toreactivated by using Escherichia coli photolyase for cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers, indicating that restriction enzymes could not function because (6–4) photoproducts remained in recognition sites. But, when UV-irradiated DNA depleted of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers was incubated with extract of cultured goldfish cells under fluorescent light illumination, it was digested with those restriction enzymes. These results suggested the presence of (6–4) photolyase in cultured goldfish cells as in Dro-sophila, Xenopus and Crotalus.