Carbazole-pyranocoumarin conjugate and two carbazole alkaloids from the stems of Clausena excavata

A carbazole-pyranocoumarin conjugate, carbazomarin B (1), and two carbazole alkaloids, 6-methoxymukonidine (2) and 2-hydroxy-3-methoxycarbazole (3), together with 27 known compounds (4–30), were isolated from the stems of Clausena excavata. Their structures have been elucidated by spectroscopic analyses. Compound 2 showed moderate cytotoxicity to HuCCA-1, MOLT-3 and HepG2 cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 15.09–28.50 μg/mL, but none to A549 cell line. Heptaphylline (6) and nordentatin (23) were found to show moderate cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cell line with IC₅₀ values of 12.33 and 11.33, respectively, while clausine K (27) exhibited strong cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ value of 1.05 μg/mL, better than a standard drug (etoposide, IC₅₀ 13.40 μg/mL).     

Precise Proton Mapping near Ionic Micellar Membranes with Fluorescent Photoinduced-Electron-Transfer Sensors

One of the challenges for fluorescent sensors is to reduce their target environment size from a micrometer scale, such as biological cells, to a nanometer scale. Proton maps near membranes are of importance in bioenergetics and are the first goal in nanometer-scale analysis with fluorescent sensors. Thirty-three fluorescent photoinduced-electron-transfer pH sensors bearing an environment-sensitive benzofurazan fluorophore and having different hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity and hydrogen-bonding abilities were prepared. These sensors were scattered in nanospaces associated with anionic and cationic micelles as model membranes to indicate proton availability and polarity in local spaces. Gathering the data from the sensors allowed the successful drawing of proton maps near anionic and cationic micelles, in which electrostatic attraction/repulsion of protons by the charged head groups of micelles and dielectric suppression of protons were clearly observed.     

The SPR sensor detecting cytosine[bond]cytosine mismatches

We have synthesized the first surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor that detects cytosine-cytosine (C[bond]C) mismatches in duplex DNA by immobilizing aminonaphthyridine dimer on the gold surface. The ligand consisting of two 2-aminonaphthyridine chromophores and an alkyl linker connecting them strongly stabilized the C[bond]C mismatches regardless of the flanking sequences. The fully matched duplexes were not stabilized at all under the same conditions. The C[bond]T, C[bond]A, and T[bond]T mismatches were also stabilized with a reduced efficiency. SPR analyses of mismatch-containing 27-mer duplexes were performed with the sensor surface on which the aminonaphthyridine dimer was immobilized. The response for the C[bond]C mismatch in 5'-GCC-3'/3'-CCG-5' was about 83 times stronger than that obtained for the fully matched duplex. The sensor successfully detects the C[bond]C mismatch at the concentration of 10 nM. SPR responses are proportional to the concentration of the C[bond]C mismatch in a range up to 200 nM. Aminonaphthyridine dimer could bind strongly to the C[bond]C mismatches having 10 possible flanking sequences with association constants in the order of 10(6) M(-1). The facile protonation of 2-aminonaphthyridine chromophore at pH 7 producing the hydrogen-bonding surface complementary to that of cytosine was most likely due to the remarkably high selectivity of 1 to the C[bond]C mismatch.     

Photo-modulation of supramolecular polymorphism in the self-assembly of a scissor-shaped azobenzene dyad into nanotoroids and fibers

Recent advances in the research field of supramolecularly engineered dye aggregates have enabled the design of simple one-dimensional stacks such as fibers and of closed structures such as nanotoroids (nanorings). More complex and advanced supramolecular systems could potentially be designed using a molecule that is able to provide either of these distinct nanostructures under different conditions. In this study, we introduced bulky but strongly aggregating cholesterol units to a scissor-shaped azobenzene dyad framework, which affords either nanotoroids, nanotubes, or 1D fibers, depending on the substituents. This new dyad with two trans-azobenzene arms shows supramolecular polymorphism in its temperature-controlled self-assembly, leading to not only oligomeric nanotoroids as kinetic products, but also to one-dimensional fibers as thermodynamic products. This supramolecular polymorphism can also be achieved via photo-triggered self-assembly, i.e., irradiation of a monomeric solution of the dyad with two cis-azobenzene arms using strong visible light leads to the preferential formation of nanotoroids, whereas irradiation with weak visible light leads to the predominant formation of 1D fibers. This is the first example of a successful light-induced modulation of supramolecular polymorphism to produce distinctly nanostructured aggregates under isothermal conditions.

Introduction of the bulky yet strongly aggregating cholesterol units to an azobenzene dyad lead to a supramolecular polymorphism not only in its temperature-controlled but also in photo-triggered self-assembly, leading to toroids and helical fibers.     

Fine glass particle-deposition mechanism in the VAD process

In order to achieve a high fiber preform production rate, the deposition mechanism in the VAD process has been investigated. The particle-deposition rate was found to depend largely on the Reynolds number value in the flame stream. Based on the flame stream Schlieren observation results, this Reynolds number relationship to the deposition rate can be explained in terms of two fine glass particle-diffusion effects: One is molecular diffusion and the other is eddy diffusion. Finally, by applying such particle-diffusion effects to the actual VAD process, a 4.5 gr/min preform production rate was attained.     

Grafting of polymers onto and/or from silica surface during the polymerization of vinyl monomers in the presence of γ‐ray‐irradiated silica

The effects of radicals on silica surface, which were formed by γ‐ray irradiation, on the polymerization of vinyl monomers were investigated. It was found that the polymerization of styrene was remarkably retarded in the presence of γ‐ray‐irradiated silica above 60 °C, at which thermal polymerization of styrene is readily initiated. During the polymerization, a part of polystyrene formed was grafted onto the silica surface but percentage of grafting was very small. On the other hand, no retardation of the polymerization of styrene was observed in the presence of γ‐ray‐irradiated silica below 50 °C; the polymerization tends to accelerate and polystyrene was grafted onto the silica surface. Poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (MMA) were also grafted onto the surface during the polymerization in the presence of γ‐ray‐irradiated silica. The grafting of polymers onto the silica surface was confirmed by thermal decomposition GC‐MS. It was considered that at lower temperature, the grafting based on the propagation of polystyrene from surface radical (“grafting from” mechanism) preferentially proceeded. On the contrary, at higher temperature, the coupling reaction of propagating polymer radicals with surface radicals (“grafting onto” mechanism) proceeded to give relatively higher molecular weight polymer‐grafted silica. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2972–2979, 2006     

Comparison of agarose and dextran-grafted agarose strong ion exchangers for the separation of protein aggregates

The control of aggregate levels in recombinant protein based drugs is a primary concern during process development and manufacture. In recent years, a novel class of dextran-grafted ion exchange matrices has gained popularity for process scale protein purification due to increased mass transfer rates and higher dynamic binding capacity compared to conventional matrices. Using bovine serum albumin and a monoclonal antibody as model proteins, we studied Sepharose FF and Sepharose XL ion exchangers for the separation of protein aggregates. Experimental results comparing linear gradient elution, stepwise elution, and flow-through chromatography for aggregate separation are described. Differences in performance for the various ion exchangers are discussed and modeled. Strategies for the optimization of protein aggregate separation are provided.     

Preparation and reactivity of an α-(difluoromethylene)-γ-lactone

3-(Difluoromethylene)-4,4-dimethyloxolan-2-one, prepared by difluoronethylenation of 4,4-dimethyloxolan-2,3-dione, exhibits marked reactivity toward nucleophilic reagents.