DFT study and Monte Carlo simulation on proton transfers of 2-amino-2-oxazoline, 2-amino-2-thiazoline, and 2-amino-2-imidazoline in the gas phase and in water

Density functional theory (DFT) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulation with free energy perturbation (FEP) techniques have been used to study the tautomeric proton transfer reaction of 2-amino-2-oxazoline, 2-amino-2-thiazoline, and 2-amino-2-imidazoline in the gas phase and in water. Two reaction pathways were considered: the direct and water-assisted transfers. The optimized structures and thermodynamic properties of stationary points for the title reaction system in the gas phase were calculated at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d, p) level of theory. The potential energy profiles along the minimum energy path in the gas phase and in water were obtained. The study of the solvent effect of water on the proton transfer of 2-amino-2-oxozoline, 2-amino-2-thiazoline, and 2-amino-2-imidazoline indicates that water as a solvent is favorable for the water-assisted process and slows down the rate of the direct transfer pathway.     

Selective Recognition of Calcium Ion through Liquid Membrane

The mole transport rate of alkaline earth metal ions through a bulk liquid membrane and a supported liquid membrane using a series of proton diionizable acyclic polyethers was measured. Among alkaline earth metal ions, the calcium ion was observed to be selectively transported in both single and competitive transport experiments. Potentiometric titration and solution calorimetric titration also gave calcium selectivity over other alkaline earth metal ions. Acyclic polyether bearing a diethylene glycol unit andn-tetradecyl lipophilic chain at the α position of carboxylic acid affords the best selectivity for the calcium ion in bulk and supported liquid membranes.     

State-to-state reaction dynamics of CH3I photodissociation at 304 nm

The detailed reaction dynamics of CH(3)I photodissociation at 304 nm were studied by using high-resolution long time-delayed core-sampling photofragment translation spectroscopy. The vibrational state distributions of the photofragment, i.e., CH(3), are directly resolved due to the high kinetic resolution of this experiment for the first time. CH(3) radicals produced from I((3)Q(0+)), I((1)Q(1) <--( 3)Q(0+)), and I((3)Q(1)) channels are populated in different vibrational state distributions. The I((3)Q(0+)) and I((3)Q(1)) channels show only progressions in the nu2'(a2") umbrella bending mode, and the I((1)Q(1) <-- (3)Q(0+)) channel shows both progression in the nu2' umbrella bending mode and a small amount of excitation in the nu1'(a1') C-H stretching mode. The photodissociation processes from the vibrational hot band of CH(3)I (upsilon3 = 1, upsilon3 = 2) were also detected, primarily because of the absorption probability from the vibrational excited states, i.e., hot bands are relatively enhanced. Photofragments from the hot bands of CH(3)I show a cold vibrational distribution compared to that from the vibrational ground state of CH(3)I. The I* quantum yield and the curve crossing possibility were also studied for the ground vibrational state of CH(3)I. The potential energy at the curve crossing point was calculated to be 32 790 cm(-1) by using the one-dimensional Landau-Zener model.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed reductive cyclization of nitroarenes with trialkylamines leading to quinolines

Nitroarenes react with trialkylamines in the presence of a catalytic amount of a ruthenium catalyst together with tin(II) chloride dihydrate at 180 °C in an aqueous medium (toluene–H₂O) to afford the corresponding quinolines in moderate to good yields. The catalytic pathway seems to be proceeded via a sequence involving initial reduction of nitroarenes to anilines, alkyl group transfer from alkylamines to anilines to form an imine, dimerization of imine, and heterocyclization.     

Corn silk induces nitric oxide synthase in murine macrophages

Corn silk has been purified as an anticoagulant previously and the active component is a polysaccharide with a molecular mass of 135 kDa. It activates murine macrophages to induce nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and generate substantial amounts of NO in time and dose-dependent manners. It was detectable first at 15 h after stimulation by corn silk, peaked at 24 h, and undetectable by 48 h. Induction of NOS is inhibited by pyrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) and genistein, an inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) and tyrosine kinase, respectively, indicating that iNOS stimulated by corn silk is associated with tyrosine kinase and NF-kappaB signaling pathways. IkappaB-alpha degradation was detectible at 10 min, and the level was restored at 120 min after treatment of corn silk. Corn silk induced nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB by phosphorylation and degradation of IkappaB-alpha.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (+)-SCH 351448: a unique ligand system for sodium, calcium, and other cations

(+)-SCH 351448 (Na+ salt A) was synthesized employing ring-closing olefin metathesis reaction of an open diene diester intermediate for construction of the 28-membered macrodiolide structure. The open diene diester was prepared from the monomeric hydroxy carboxylic acid and two different olefin fragments. The monomeric hydroxy acid was synthesized via Julia-Julia coupling reaction of intermediates derived from the same olefinic fragments. Oxane units in these fragments were prepared by radical cyclization reactions of beta-alkoxyacrylates. Analogous SCH 351448 salts incorporating other mono- and divalent cations may be prepared. Under acidic conditions, SCH 351448 (Na+ salt A) was the most stable complex, but SCH 351448 (Ca2+ salt) and (Na+ salt B) appear to be physiologically important species.     

Phage-display selection of a human single-chain fv antibody highly specific for melanoma and breast cancer cells using a chemoenzymatically synthesized G(M3)-carbohydrate antigen

Overexpression of the cell-surface glycosphingolipid G(M3) is associated with a number of different cancers, including those of the skin, colon, breast, and lung. Antibodies against the G(M3) epitope have potential application as therapeutic agents in the treatment of these cancers. We describe the chemoenzymatic synthesis of two G(M3)-derived reagents and their use in the panning of a phage-displayed human single-chain Fv (scFv) antibody library derived from the blood of cancer patients. Three scFv-phage clones, GM3A6, GM3A8, and GM3A15, were selected for recombinant expression and were characterized using BIAcore and flow cytometry. BIAcore measurements using the purified, soluble scFvs yielded dissociation constants (K(d)) ranging from 4.2 x 10(-7) to 2.1 x 10(-5) M. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the ability of each scFv to discriminate between normal human cells (human dermal fibroblast, HDFa), melanoma cells (HMV-1, M21, and C-8161), and breast cancer cells (BCM-1, BCM-2, and BMS). GM3A6 displayed cross-reactivity with normal cells, as well as tumor cells, and GM3A15 possessed little or no binding activity toward any of the cell lines tested. However, GM3A8 bound to five of the six tumor cell lines and showed no measurable reactivity against the HDFa cells. Hence, we have demonstrated that a synthetic G(M3) panning reagent can be used to isolate a fully human scFv that is highly specific for native G(M3) on the surface of tumor cells. The result is a significant step toward effective immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer.     

300-MHz 1H-NMR spectra of p-cresol-formaldehyde condensates having regular repeating structures

Model p-cresol-formaldehyde condensates having regular sequences of methylene ether and methylene linkages were prepared by the self-condensation of dimethylol derivatives of p-cresol-formaldehyde condensates (2-hydroxy-5-methyl-1,3-benzenedimethanol, 3,3′-methylene-bis[2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzenemethanol] and 3,3′-[(2-hydroxy-5-methyl-m-phenylene)dimethylene]-bis[2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzenemethanol]). 300-MHz ¹H-NMR spectra of these polymers and of their acylated derivatives were recorded and used to develop resonance assignments for the various types of protons present in these polymers. The spectra were found to be sensitive to end-group and sequence distribution effects.     

bPAK-interacting exchange factor may regulate actin cytoskeleton through interaction with actin

p21-activated kinase (PAK)-interacting exchange factor (PIX) is known to be involved in regulation of Cdc42/Rac GTPases and PAK activity. PIX binds to the proline-rich region of PAK, and regulates biological events through activation of Cdc42/Rac GTPase. To further investigate the role of PIX we produced monoclonal antibodies (Mab) against bPIX. Three clones; N-C6 against N-terminal half and C-A3 and C-B7 against C- terminal half of bPIX were generated and characterized. N-C6 Mab detected bPIX as a major band in most cell lines. C-A3 Mab recognizes GIT-binding domain (GBD), but it does not interfere with GIT binding to bPIX. Using C-A3 Mab possible bPIX interaction with actin in PC12 cells was examined. bPIX Mab (C-A3) specifically precipitated actin of the PC12 cell lysates whereas actin Mab failed to immunoprecipitate bPIX. Co-sedimentation of PC12 cell lysates with the polymerized F-actin resulted in the recovery of most of bPIX in the cell lysates. These results suggest that bPIX may not interact with soluble actin but with polymerized F-actin and revealed that bPIX constitutes a functional complex with actin. These data indicate real usefulness of the bPIX Mab in the study of bPIX role(s) in regulation of actin cyoskeleton.     

Effect of particle size in preparative reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on the isolation of epigallocatechin gallate from Korean green tea

To isolate epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) of catechin compounds from Korean green tea (Bosung, Chonnam), a C18 reversed-phase preparative column (250x22 mm) packed with packings of three different sizes (15, 40-63, and 150 microm) was used. The sample extracted with water was partitioned with chloroform and ethyl acetate to remove the impurities including caffeine. The mobile phases in this experiment were composed of 0.1% acetic acid in water, acetonitrile, methanol and ethyl acetate. The injection volume was fixed at 400 microl and the flow rate was increased as the particle size becomes larger. The isolation of EGCG with particle size was compared at a preparative scale and the feasibility of separation of EGCG at larger particle sizes was confirmed. The optimum mobile phase composition for separating EGCG was experimentally obtained at the particle sizes of 15 and 40-63 microm in the isocratic mode, but EGCG was not purely separated at the particle size of 150 microm.