Preparation and characterization of nanoaggregates of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polymethacrylate and poly-L-lysine

Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polymethacrylate (PEO-b-PMA), one of the double-hydrophilic block copolymers, has proved to the form nanoaggregates with poly-L-lysine (PLS). This was confirmed by turbidimetry, zeta-potential measurements, and dynamic light scattering. The nanoaggregate formation is induced by electrostatic charge neutralization of the PMA block with PLS. The properties of the aggregates are affected by PLS concentration as well PEO-b-PMA concentration. The aggregates have potential applications in biomedical science.     

A highly stable quadruply hydrogen-bonded heterocomplex useful for supramolecular polymer blends

The butyl urea of guanosine (UG) presents an ADDA hydrogen-bonding array that is complementary to the DAAD array of 2,7-diamido-1,8-naphthyridine (DAN). The stability of the DAN.UG complex was measured by fluorimetry using the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from the naphthyridine ring to a coumarin 343 moiety linked covalently to the UG unit. The quadruply hydrogen-bonded complex is extremely stable with a measured association constant, Kassoc, of 3 x 108 M-1. Unlike related hydrogen-bonding modules, the guanosine urea, UG, contains a relatively fixed tautomeric form and only weakly self-associates (Kdimer = ca. 200 M-1). The DAN unit was linked to a styrene-based monomer and copolymerized with styrene to form a polymer (PS-DAN) containing a controlled number of the DAAD recognition units. Likewise, a methacrylate monomer containing the UG unit was copolymerized with butyl methacrylate to form a polymer (PBMA-UG). Blends formed from PS-DAN and PBMA-UG were characterized by DSC, SEC, and viscometry. The importance of selective heterocomplexation and weak self-association in forming the blended networks was demonstrated by using a ureidopyrimidinone (UPy) unit, which also forms strong heterocomplexes with DAN but is able to strongly self-associate.     

Saccharide-branched Cyclodextrins as Targeting Drug Carriers

A synthetic series of heptakis-galactose-branched cyclodextrins (termed CDs) having a longer spacer arm using two amino-caproic acids as an enlarging unit were prepared. Starting with heptakis-amino-β-CD or heptakis-amino-caproic-amide-β-CD, treated with galactosyl-glucono-amide-caproic acid, the new compounds heptakis (Gal-cap1)-CD (4) or heptakis (Gal-cap2)-CD (5) were obtained. The longer galactose spacer arm extremely favors the PNA association. The effect of branch length on K with PNA was enhanced up to 138-fold 3 as well as with DXR enhanced up to 81-fold. Hexakis (Gal-cap2)-CD (6) was prepared and the association constants with rat liver cells were observed to be 2.5 × 10¹⁰ M⁻¹. A multi-high mannose type oligosaccharide branched CD (7) showed a large association constant with DXR up to 1.1 × 10⁹ M⁻¹. The two-dimensional map for the association constants of newly synthesized oligosaccharide-branched CDs toward lectin or liver cells versus the association constants toward a drug (doxorubicin) suggested a method of finding a better targeting drug carrier. The structural effect of the oligosaccharide-CDs showed that the number and length of the branch were dominant factors in designing for enhanced dual recognition.     

Lifetime regulation of the charge-separated state in DNA by modulating the oxidation potential of guanine in DNA through hydrogen bonding

A series of naphthalimide (NI)- and 5-bromocytosine ((br)C)-modified oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) were prepared, and their lifetimes of the charge-separated states during the photosensitized one-electron oxidation of DNA were measured. Various lifetimes of the charge-separated states were observed depending on the sequence and the incorporation sites of (br)C, and the oxidation potential of G in the (br)C:G base-pair relative to that of G in the C:G base-pair and in the GGG sequence was determined by comparing the lifetimes of the charge-separated states. The change in the cytosine C5 hydrogen to bromine resulted in a 24 mV increase in the oxidation potential of G in the (br)C:G base-pair as compared to that of G in the C:G base-pair, the value of which is comparable to a 58 mV decrease in the oxidation potential of G in the GGG sequence. These results clearly demonstrate that hole transfer in DNA can be controlled through hydrogen bonding by introducing a substituent on the cytosine.     

Selectivity enhancement of diastereomer separation in RPLC using crystalline-organic phase-bonded silica

Summary Poly(octadecyl acrylate) exists in a crystalline state at room temperature. This crystalline state was formed even after being grafted onto silica through the terminal group of the polymer. When this polymer-grafted silica (Sil-ODA_n) was used as a reversed phase liquid chromatography packing material, better selectivity for diastereomerized phenylethylamines derivatized by (S)-(−)-(2,3-naphthalenedicarboximidyl)propionyl fluoride was observed at room temperature than was observed for simple octadecylated silica (ODS). On the other hand, increasing temperature reduced the selectivity to be close to that of ODS. Additional experiments showed the better selectivity derived from Sil-ODA_n was due to both the highly-oriented structure of the polymer and the carbonyl-π interaction with the diastereomer. A theoretical investigation of this carbonyl-π interaction is also described briefly.     

Redoxable nanosheet crystallites of MnO2 derived via delamination of a layered manganese oxide

This paper reports on the swelling and exfoliation behavior of a layered protonic manganese oxide, H(0.13)MnO(2).0.7H(2)O, in a solution of tetrabutylammonium (TBA) hydroxide and the formation and characterizations of unilamellar two-dimensional crystallites of MnO(2). At low doses of TBA ions, layered manganese oxide was observed to undergo normal intercalation, yielding a TBA intercalated phase with a gallery height of 1.25 nm. With a large excess of TBA ions, osmotic swelling occurred, giving rise to a very large intersheet separation of 3.5-7 nm. In an intermediate TBA concentration range, the sample exhibited a broad X-ray diffraction profile with superimposed diffraction features due to intercalation and osmotic swelling. The component responsible for the broad profile was isolated by centrifuging the mixture twice at different speeds, and the recovered colloid was identified as a pile of MnO(2) nanosheets, corresponding to the individual host layer of the precursor layered manganese oxide. Observations by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy revealed high two-dimensional anisotropy with a lateral dimension of submicrometers and a thickness of approximately 0.8 nm. The nanosheet exhibited broad optical absorption with a peak at 374 nm (epsilon = 1.13 x 10(4) mol(-1) dm(3) cm(-1)). The restacking process of the colloidal MnO(2) nanosheets was followed by aging the colloid at a relative humidity of 95%. The broad diffraction pattern due to the exfoliated sheets weakened with time and eventually resolved into two sharp distinct profiles attributable to a TBA intercalation compound with an intersheet spacing of 1.72 nm and an osmotically swollen hydrate with >10 nm at a very early stage. As drying progressed, the former phase became more abundant without a change in interlayer distance, while the degree of swelling of the latter phase gradually decreased to 2.7 nm that remained unchanged on further aging. Subsequent drying at a lower humidity collapsed the 2.7 nm phase. The resulting single 1.72 nm phase was dehydrated by heating at 150 degrees C to produce a phase with a contracted interlayer spacing of 1.3 nm.     

A GaCl3-catalyzed [4+1] cycloaddition of alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and isocyanides leading to unsaturated gamma-lactone derivatives

A GaCl3-catalyzed reaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones with isocyanides leading to the formation of unsaturated lactone derivatives is described. This is the first example of the catalytic [4+1] cycloaddition of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones and isocyanides. GaCl3 is an excellent catalyst due to its lower oxophilicity, which is desirable for all of the key steps, such as E/Z isomerization, cyclization, and deattachment from the products.     

Basic peptides as functional components of non-viral gene transfer vehicles

Improving the performance of non-viral gene-delivery vehicles that consist of synthetic compounds and nucleic acids is a key to successful gene therapy. Supplementing synthetic vehicles with various biological functions by using natural or artificial peptides is a promising approach with which to achieve this goal. One of the obstacles hindering this effort is that some of the potentially useful peptides, especially those with many basic amino acid residues, interfere with the formation of the complex owing to strong electrostatic interactions with the nucleic acid. In this review, we describe our recent work in examining the potential of these peptides in gene delivery, using a recombinant lambda phage particle as the model for the gene-delivery complex. Lambda phage encapsulates large duplex DNA in a rigid polyplex-like shell with a diameter of 55 nm, and can display various peptides on this capsid, independently of particle formation. By examining the expression of marker genes encapsulated in the phage capsid, we have demonstrated that the protein transduction domain of HIV Tat protein and the nuclear localization signal derived from SV40 T antigen can remarkably facilitate the delivery of these marker genes across the two major barriers, the cell membrane and the nuclear membrane, respectively. Our results indicate that these basic peptides can constitute effective components of synthetic gene-transfer complexes, as long as sufficient copies are displayed on the outer surface of the complex.     

Efficiently Synthesizing Lacto-Ganglio-Series Gangliosides by Using a Glucosyl Ceramide Cassette Approach: The Total Synthesis of Ganglioside X2

The first total synthesis of the hybrid ganglioside X2, which consisted of a highly branched octasaccharide and ceramide moieties, was accomplished by using a glucosyl ceramide cassette approach. With a disaccharyl donor, the heptasaccharide could not be constructed by glycosylation of the C4 hydroxy group of galactose at the reducing end of the pentasaccharide. In contrast, through an alternative approach with two branched glycan units, a GM2-core trisaccharide, and a lacto-ganglio tetrasaccharide, the heptasaccharyl donor could be prepared and subsequently joined with a glucosyl ceramide cassette to afford the protected ganglioside, X2. Finally, global deprotection completed the synthesis, thus affording the pure ganglioside X2.     

Exploiting Transient Radical Cations as Brønsted Acids for Allylic C–H Heteroarylation of Enol Silyl Ethers

Intermediary radical cations, generated through single-electron oxidation of enol silyl ethers by excited Ir-based photocatalysts, can be exploited as Brønsted acids for the activation of heteroarylcyanides. This strategy enables the direct allylic C−H heteroarylation of enol silyl ethers under visible-light irradiation.