Spectroscopic Analysis of Protein-Crowded Environments Using the Charge-Transfer Fluorescence Probe 8-Anilino-1-Naphthalenesulfonic Acid

The molecular behaviors of proteins under crowding conditions are crucial for understanding the protein actions in intracellular environments. Under a crowded environment, the distance between protein molecules is almost the same size as the molecular level, thus, both the excluded volume effect and short ranged soft chemical interaction on protein surface could induce the complicated influence on the protein behavior cooperatively. Recently, various kinds of analytical approaches from macroscopic to microscopic aspects have been made to evaluate the crowding effect. The method, however, has not been established to evaluate the surface specific interactions on protein surface. In this study, the analytical method to evaluate the crowding effect has been suggested by using a charge-transfer fluorescence probe, ANS. By employing the unique property of ANS attaching to charged residues on the surface of lysozyme, the crowding effect was focused, while the case was compared as a reference, in which ANS is confined in hydrophobic pockets of BSA. Consequently, the surface specific changes of fluorescence spectra were readily observed under the crowded environment, whereas the fluorescence spectra of ANS in protein inside did not change. This result suggests the fluorescence spectra of ANS binding to protein surface have the capability to estimate the crowding effect of proteins.     

Synthesis and biological activity of novel mitomycin C analogs derived from mitomycin A

A variety of mitomycin C analogs were synthesized from mitomycin A and their biological activities were studied. Mitomycin A ( 1 ) underwent nucleophilic displacement reactions involving intramolecular hydrogen migrations upon treatment with nitrogen nucleophiles bearing mobile hydrogens, but the mode of hydrogen migration depended on the nature of the nucleophiles. The reaction with alkoxyamines gave compounds 6 and 7 which have the 5H-6-alkoxyimino-4,7-dione structure in ring A of 1 . However, the reaction with hydroxylamine and benzoylhydrazine afforded compounds 11 and 13 which have the 4-hydroxy-6-hydroxyimino-7-one structure and the 4-hydroxy-6-hydrazono-7-one structure, respectively, in ring A of 1 . These products were converted into various types of mitomycin C derivatives by methylation with methyl iodide or dimethyl sulfate. The mechanistic features of these reactions are discussed. The in vitro and in vivo biological activities were tested by using P388 leukemia and Sarcoma 180 tumor cells. Several of the synthesized compounds exhibited better activity than that of mitomycin C.     

Reaction of dibutyltin oxide with methanol under CO2 pressure relevant to catalytic dimethyl carbonate synthesis

Dibutyltin oxide (Bu₂SnO)_n (3) reacts with methanol to give the tetrabutyl(dimethoxy)stannoxane dimer (4). The presence of 2,2-dimethoxypropane under a CO₂ pressure accelerates the reaction resulting in nearly quantitative yield. Complex 4 exhibits catalytic activity as high as that of {Bu₂Sn(OMe)₂}₂ (1) in the dimethyl carbonate (DMC) synthesis from CO₂ and methanol. These results indicate that the conversion of 3 to 4 occurs under catalytic DMC production conditions.     

Tubiferic acid, a new 9,10-secocycloartane triterpenoid acid isolated from the myxomycete Tubulifera arachnoidea

Tubiferic acid (1), a new triterpenoid acid having a 2,6-dimethyl-4,5-dihydroxy-2-hexenoic acid moiety as a side chain, was isolated from field-collected fruit bodies of the myxomycete Tubulifera arachnoidea, and its structure was elucidated by spectral data. Tubiferic acid (1) had the same unique 9,10-secocycloartane carbon skeleton as tubiferal A (2).     

Invariant theory for singular α-determinants

From the irreducible decompositions' point of view, the structure of the cyclic GLn(C)-module generated by the α-determinant degenerates when (1?k?n−1) (see [S. Matsumoto, M. Wakayama, Alpha-determinant cyclic modules of gln(C), J. Lie Theory 16 (2006) 393-405]). In this paper, we show that -determinant shares similar properties which the ordinary determinant possesses. From this fact, one can define a new (relative) invariant called a wreath determinant. Using (GLm,GLn)-duality in the sense of Howe, we obtain an expression of a wreath determinant by a certain linear combination of the corresponding ordinary minor determinants labeled by suitable rectangular shape tableaux. Also we study a wreath determinant analogue of the Vandermonde determinant, and then, investigate symmetric functions such as Schur functions in the framework of wreath determinants. Moreover, we examine coefficients which we call (n,k)-sign appeared at the linear expression of the wreath determinant in relation with a zonal spherical function of a Young subgroup of the symmetric group Snk.     

Relationships between the anisotropy of longitudinal wave velocity and hydroxyapatite crystallite orientation in bovine cortical bone

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is now widely used for evaluating bone in vivo, because obtained ultrasonic wave properties directly reflect the visco-elasticity. Bone tissue is composed of minerals like hydroxyapatite (HAp) and a collagen matrix. HAp crystallites orientation is thus one parameter of bone elasticity. In this study, we experimentally investigated the anisotropy of ultrasonic wave velocity and the HAp crystallites orientation in the axial-radial and axial-tangential planes in detail, using cylindrical specimens obtained from the cortical bone of three bovine femurs. Longitudinal bulk wave propagation was investigated by using a conventional ultrasonic pulse system. We used the one cycle of sinusoidal pulse which was emitted from wide band transmitter. The nominal frequency of the pulse was 1 MHz. First, we investigated the anisotropy of longitudinal wave velocity, measuring the anisotropy of velocity in two planes using cylindrical specimens obtained from identical bone areas. The wave velocity changed due to the rotation angle, showing the maximum value in the direction a little off the bone axis. Moreover, X-ray pole figure measurements also indicated that there were small tilts in the HAp crystallites orientation from the bone axis. The tilt angles were similar to those of the highest velocity direction. There were good correlations between velocity and HAp crystallites orientation obtained in different directions. However, a comparatively low correlation was found in posterior bone areas, which shows the stronger effects of bone microstructure. In the radial-tangential plane, where the HAp crystallites hardly ever align, weak anisotropy of velocity was found which seemed to depend on the bone microstructure.     

Nucleation effect of cyclodextrin inclusion complexes on the crystallization of isotactic poly(1‐butene)

The β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) and γ‐cyclodextrin (γ‐CD) inclusion complexes (ICs) with four kinds of polyolefin were prepared. The crystallization behavior of isotactic poly(1‐butene) (iPB‐1) blended with these CDs and ICs was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. The iPB‐1 blended with the ICs was found to exhibit higher crystallization temperature (T_C), smaller spherulites, and faster crystallization rate than neat iPB‐1. These results indicate that the ICs can act as nucleating agent on the crystallization of iPB‐1 and induce the accelerated crystallization. The guest molecules of ICs play an important role in the nucleation effect of ICs on the crystallization of iPB‐1. ICs with polyolefin having higher T_C as guest molecules have higher nucleation effect than the one with polyolefin having lower T_C as guest molecules. And, the CDs and ICs induce different crystal form of iPB‐1. The crystal of iPB‐1 blended with CDs is defective, whereas the crystal of iPB‐1 blended with ICs is more perfect. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 389–395, 2010     

Placental extracts induce the expression of antioxidant enzyme genes and suppress melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells

One of the activities of placental extracts (PEs) is skin-whitening effect, but the physiological and genetic mechanism for this effect has not yet been clarified. Here, we focus on PE as a regulator of antioxidant enzyme genes. Porcine PE was prepared, and its activity was investigated in B16 melanoma cells. PE treatment decreased the melanin content of UV-irradiated B16 cells in a dose-dependent manner. PE directly reduced the enzyme activity of tyrosinase in a cell-free assay. In addition, PE treatment increased the gene expression of cytosolic superoxide dismutase (SOD-1), extracellular SOD (SOD-3) and catalase but did not affect the expression of tyrosinase. Moreover, PE protected the B16 cells from H₂O₂-induced cell death. Taken together, our data suggest that PEs could play a role not only as a suppressor of melanin synthesis but also as a regulator of antioxidant genes and might protect the skin against oxidative stress.