Analysis of Salmonella lipopolysaccharides by sodium deoxycholate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) in the presence of sodium deoxycholate (DOC) or sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and the results obtained compared. Two-dimensional PAGE of the S form of LPS revealed that, with SDS, bands which appeared to be single after the one-dimensional experiment were resolved into several bands after two-dimensional electrophoresis. In the presence of DOC, however, a diagonal of single bands was obtained in one-dimensional electrophoresis indicating optimum resolution. The high quality of resolution by DOC-PAGE was constant for amounts of LPS up to 20 micrograms. Finally, DOC-PAGE does not require boiling of the samples in DOC, which may be an advantage over SDS-PAGE.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of silanethiolato complexes having tert-butyldimethylsilyl and trimethylsilyl groups

Treatment of cyclotrisilathiane (Me2SiS)3 with 3 equiv. of RLi (R = Me, But) in hexane-Et2O afforded the lithium silanethiolates LiSSiMe2R, and the tmeda adduct [(tmeda)LiSSiMe2But]2 1 (tmeda =N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine) was isolated in the case of R = But. Reaction of Fe(CH3CN)2(CF3SO3)2, CoCl2, and [Cu(CH3CN)4](PF6) with 1 gave rise to the silanethiolato complexes M(SSiMe2But)2(tmeda)(M = Fe 2, Co 3), and [Cu(SSiMe2But)]4 4, respectively. Complexes (C5H5)2Ti(SSiMe2R)2(R = Me 5, But 6) and Ni(SSiMe2R)2(dppe)[R = Me 7, But 8; dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane] were prepared from treatments of (C5H5)2TiCl2 and NiCl2(dppe) with the corresponding lithium silanethiolates. Complex 7 readily reacted with (C5H5)TiCl3 to produce the Ti-Ni heterobimetallic compound (C5H5)TiCl(mu-S)2Ni(dppe) 9, in which silicon-sulfur bond cleavage took place. Characterization of all compounds through spectroscopic techniques and elemental analyses are also described. X-Ray structural data for compounds 1 and 3-9 are reported.     

Effects of carbonyl and aldehyde groups in the graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate on cellulose with a ceric salt

Graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate on cellulosic materials of various carbonyl and aldehyde contents with the use of a ceric salt as an initiator was studied. It was found that the concentration of the ceric salt which gives the maximum per cent grafting is in good agreement with the equivalent of total carbonyl content in the cellulosic material, and the number of grafted chains in copolymers is roughly proportional to it. However, the molar ratio of the number of grafted chains to total carbonyl content is quite small, being approximately 1:50, and the graft copolymerization can be explained kinetically on the assumption that the number of radicals produced on cellulose by the ceric salt leading to branching is very much smaller than the number of radicals destroyed by the ceric salt, and growing radicals can be stabilized by the termination reaction with the ceric salt or with a cellulose radical. Although both aldehyde and carbonyl groups contribute to the formation of grafted chains, the former are effective mainly at low concentrations of the ceric salt; both groups participate in the production of graft copolymers showing the maximum per cent grafting.     

Enzymes in Organic Synthesis: Application to the Problems of Carbohydrate Recognition (Part 1)

Carbohydrates on cell surfaces are information molecules. Although only seven or eight monosaccharides are commonly used as building blocks in mammalian systems, the multifunctionality of these monomers can lead to the assembly of an immense variety of complex structures. Millions of different tetrasaccharide structures, for example, can be constructed from this small number of building blocks, if branching, the stereochemistry of glycosidic linkages, and the modification of hydroxyl and amino groups are taken into consideration. Oligosaccharides therefore represent an effective class of biomolecules that code for a vast amount of information required in various biological recognition processes, such as intercellular communication, signal transduction, cell adhesion, infection, cell differentiation, development and metastasis. The pace of development of pharmaceuticals based on carbohydrates has, however, been slower than that based on other classes of biomolecules. Part of the reason is the lack of technologies for the study of complex carbohydrates. There is no method to amplify oligosaccharides for sequence analysis. There is no machine available for automated synthesis of oligosaccharides. In addition, the possibly poor bioavailability and difficulties in the large-scale synthesis of carbohydrates have undoubtedly contributed to this slow pace. The enzymatic and chemoenzymatic methods, especially those based on aldolases and glycosyltransferases, described here appear to be useful for the synthesis of mono- and oligosaccaharides and related molecules. Further advances in glycobiology will probably lead to the development of new technologies for the study of carbohydrate recognition and for the synthesis of bioactive carbohydrates and mimetics to control the recognition processes.     

Enhanced sensitivity and resolution in (1)H solid-state NMR spectroscopy of paramagnetic complexes under very fast magic angle spinning

High-resolution NMR spectroscopy for paramagnetic complexes in solids has been rarely performed because of its limited sensitivity and resolution due to large paramagnetic shifts and associated technical difficulties. The present study demonstrates that magic angle spinning (MAS) at speeds exceeding 20 kHz provides unusually high sensitivity and excellent resolution in 1H solid-state NMR (SSNMR) for paramagnetic systems. Spinning-speed dependence of 1H MAS spectra showed that very fast MAS (VFMAS) at 24-28 kHz enhanced sensitivity by a factor of 12-18, compared with the sensitivity of 1H SSNMR spectra under moderate MAS at 10 kHz, for Cu(dl-alanine)2.H2O and Mn(acac)3, for which the spectral ranges due to 1H paramagnetic shifts reach 200 and 1000 ppm, respectively. It was theoretically and experimentally confirmed that the absolute sensitivity of 1H VFMAS for small paramagnetic complexes such as Cu(dl-alanine)2 can be an order of magnitude higher than that of equimolar diamagnetic ligands because of short 1H T1 ( approximately 1 ms) of the paramagnetic systems and improved sensitivity under VFMAS. On the basis of this demonstrated high sensitivity, 1H SSNMR micro analysis of paramagnetic systems in a nanomole scale is proposed. Applications were performed on two polymorphs of Cu(II)(8-quinolinol)2, which is a suppressor of human cancer cells. It was demonstrated that 1H VFMAS SSNMR spectra accumulated for 20 nmol of the polycrystalline samples in 10 min enabled one to distinguish alpha- and beta-forms of Cu(II)(8-quinolinol)2 on the basis of shift positions and line widths.     

Photo-induced cellulose radicals capable of initiating graft copolymerization

The decay behavior of cellulose radicals produced by photo-irradiation at room temperature and the characteristics of photo-irradiated cellulose samples to initiate graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) were investigated. ESR spectra of such untreated, swollen, oximated, and ferric ion-sensitized samples irradiated at room temperature were constructed mainly of a single absorption line with a line width of 20 to 22 gauss and a g value of 2.003, and it is surely conceivable that the radicals showing a singlet spectrum should agree with those of alkoxy end produced at either the C₁ or C₄ position of the glucose unit by the scission of glucosidic bonds. The decay of radicals was accelerated by contact of various solvents with the samples, the activity decreasing in the order, water ≈ methanol ? acetone > dioxane. On the other hand, the decay of radicals by vinyl monomers became smaller in the order, methacrylic acid > MMA ≈ styrene. Graft copolymerization of MMA by a photo-irradiated sample was effectively initiated with the use of a certain amount of water or methanol, but not with acetone and dioxane. As no initiation can occur with the unirradiated sample, it is concluded that the initiation of graft copolymerization on the photo-irradiated sample is attributable to cellulose radicals showing a singlet spectrum which are formed in photo-irradiation at room temperature.     

Identification of α-type subunits of the Xenopus 20S proteasome and analysis of their changes during the meiotic cell cycle

Background  

The 26S proteasome is the proteolytic machinery of the ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic system responsible for most of the regulated intracellular protein degradation in eukaryotic cells. Previously, we demonstrated meiotic cell cycle dependent phosphorylation of α4 subunit of the 26S proteasome. In this study, we analyzed the changes in the spotting pattern separated by 2-D gel electrophoresis of α subunits during Xenopus oocyte maturation.     

Small-angle x-ray scattering from solution of rodlike particles with length distribution

The scattering function of rods with a constant radius, 8 Å, and a length distribution of the Schulz–Zimm type was calculated on a computer as a model of helical synthetic polypeptide. The influence of length and length distribution on the scattered intensity of small-angle x-ray scattering was clarified. As length grows and length distribution broadens it is difficult to obtain reliable values of molecular weight and radius of gyration from a Zimm plot. The influence of length distribution on the mass per unit length, M_q, and the radius of gyration of the cross section, 〈S〉^1/2, from the Guinier plot of the cross-sectional factor decreases as the length increases, and reliable values of M_q and 〈S〉^1/2 can be obtained even for rods with wide distribution for rods more than 600 Å long. In particular, it is pointed out that the value of 〈S〉^1/2 is little influenced by length and length distribution.     

Synthesis of 2-, 4- and 5-(2-alkylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl)-7-alkyloxybenzo[b]furans and their leukotriene B4 receptor antagonistic activity

Variable benzo[b]furan derivatives having (E)- and (Z)-2-alkylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl groups at the 2-, 4- and 5-positions and a carboxylpropoxy or (1-phenyl)ethoxy group at the 7-position were prepared to find novel and selective leukotriene B4(LTB4) receptor antagonists. (E)-2-(2-diethylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl)-7-(1-phenylethoxy)benzo[b]furan (4v) showed selective inhibition to the human BLT2 receptor (hBLT2). On the other hand, (E)-2-acetyl-4-(2-diethylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl)-7-(1-phenylethoxy)benzo[b]furan (7v) inhibited both human BLT(1) receptor (hBLT1) and hBLT2. The (E)-2-(2-diethylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl) group lay on approximately the same plane as the benzo[b]furan ring, whereas the (E)-4-(2-diethylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl) group had the torsion angle (45.7 degree) from the benzo[b]furan ring plane. However, the (Z)-(2-alkylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl)benzo[b]furans were inactive. The inhibitory activity depended on the conformation of the 2-diethylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl group.     

Solenoidal automorphisms with specifications

The specification property for solenoidal automorphisms is discussed; a solenoidal automorphism satisfies specification iff is expansive, and satisfies weak specification but not specification iff is ergodic and central spin. These are problems set up byK. Sigmund for homeomorphisms with specification. The proofs for toral case are given byD. Lind. For solenoidal case, a key ingredient in our proofs is splitting theorems on solenoidal groups with respect to described in § 2. Moreover, the following is proved: (i) If obeys specification then satisfies weak specification and is densely periodic. But the converse is not necessarily true. (ii) Every solenoidal automorphism with specification admits a Markov partition. (iii) Every ergodic solenoidal automorphism without specification does not admit Markov partitions. (iv) There exists an expansive homeomorphism with specification which has not Markov partitions.