Cooperative effects in phospholipid monolayers induced by a peptide from HIV-1 capsid protein

The study of interactions between biological molecules and model membranes is essential for the understanding of a number of physiological mechanisms involved in viral infections and dissemination. In this paper, the analysis of the interaction between a peptide from the p24 protein of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) and a phospholipid monolayer has pointed to a cooperative response in which very small amounts of peptide p24-1 (e.g. 0.05 mol%) can lead to measurable effects. Monolayer surface pressure and surface potential isotherms were affected for peptide concentrations as low as 0.05 mol%, with saturation at 0.5 mol%. The expansion effect from p24-1 is confirmed by changes in morphology of the monolayers using Brewster angle microscopy. Even though p24-1 is disordered in aqueous solutions, the interaction with dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) causes it to adopt an alpha-helix structure, as shown by circular dichroism (CD) data for multilamellar vesicles (MLV). The expansion of the phospholipid monolayer in a cooperative way may imply that p24-1 has potential antiviral activity, by participating in the cell rupture, with no need of specific receptors in the membrane.     

Decomposition of protonated noradrenaline and normetanephrine assisted by NH2 migration studied by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry and molecular orbital calculations

As part of a research program on neurotransmitters in a biological fluid, the fragmentations characterising catecholamines protonated under electrospray ionisation (ESI) conditions, under low collision energy in a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer, were investigated. The decompositions of protonated noradrenaline (VH) and normetanephrine (VIH) were studied. Both precursor ions eliminate first H2O at very low collision energy, and the fragmentations of [MH-H2O]+ occur at higher collision energy. The breakdown graphs of [MH-H2O]+ ions, with collision energy varying from 0-40 eV in the laboratory frame, are presented. [VIH-H2O]+ ions lose competitively NH3 and CH3OH. For [VH-H2O]+ the loss of NH3 is dominant while H2O is eliminated at very low abundance at all collision energies. All of these secondary fragmentations are followed at higher collision energies by elimination of CO. These fragmentations are interpreted by means of ab initio calculations up to the B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,2p) level of theory. The elimination of H2O requires first the isomerisation of N-protonated forms, chosen as energy references, to O-protonated forms. The isomerisation barriers are calculated to be lower than 81 kJ/mol above the N-protonated forms. The elimination of NH3 from [MH-H2O]+ requires first the migration, via a cyclisation, of the amine function from the linear chain to the aromatic ring in order to prevent the formation of unstable disubstituted carbocations in the ring. The barriers associated with the loss of NH3 are located 220 and 233 kJ/mol above VH and 219 kJ/mol above VIH. The energy barrier for the loss of ROH is located 236 and 228 kJ/mol above VH and VIH, respectively. The absence of ions corresponding to [VH-2H2O]+ is due to a parasitic mechanism with an activation barrier lower than 236 kJ/mol that leads to a stable species unable to fragment, thus preventing the second loss of H2O. Losses of CO following the secondary fragmentations involve activation barriers higher than 330 kJ/mol.     

Indirect spectrophotometric determination of cyanide

A spectrophotometric method for cyanide based on its inhibition of the colour formation reaction between nickel(II) and 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolylazo)-2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid has been developed, and allows the determination of down to 0.1 g of cyanide. Most of the interferences can be avoided by displacement of the hydrogen cyanide using an arsine generator.     

Unusual volumetric and hydration behavior of the catanionic system sodium undecenoate: sodecyltrimethylammonium bromide

Following the studies on the effect of double bonds in the surfactant hydrophobic tail on the formation of mixed surfactant aggregates, we studied the viscosity and density of the system Sodium 10-undecenoate (SUD)–decyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB)–water. We found that the partial molar volume (pmv) and intrinsic viscosity of both, micellised and unmicellised mixtures, are non-ideal, dependent on the mixture composition and related to structural changes in micelles. These phenomena are caused by the presence of the double bond at the distal extreme of the SUD molecule, which has some affinity with water by formation of hydrogen bonds. In particular, as far as we know, this is the first report on non-ideal behavior of the pmv in mixed micelles.     

Carboxylate anions binding and sensing by a novel tetraazamacrocycle containing ferrocene as receptor

A tetraazamacrocycle containing ferrocene moieties has been synthesized and characterized. The tetraprotonated form of this compound was evaluated as a receptor (R) for anion recognition of several substrates (S), Cl(-), PF(6)(-), HSO(4)(-), H(2)PO(4)(-) and carboxylates, such as p-nitrobenzoate (p-nbz(-)), phthalate (ph(2-)), isophthalate (iph(2-)) and dipicolinate (dipic(2-)). (1)H NMR titrations in CD(3)OD indicated that this receptor is not suitable for recognizing HSO(4)(-) and H(2)PO(4)(-), but weakly binds p-nbz(-), and strongly interacts with ph(2-), dipic(2-), and iph(2-) anions forming 1 : 2 assembled species. The largest beta(2) binding constant was determined for ph(2-), followed by dipic(2-) and finally iph(2-). The effect of the anionic substrates on the electron-transfer process of the ferrocene units of R was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) in methanol solution and 0.1 mol dm(-3)(CH(3))(4)NCl as the supporting electrolyte. Titrations of the receptor were undertaken by addition of anion solutions in their tetrabutylammonium or tetramethylammonium forms. The protonated ligand exhibits a reversible voltammogram, which shifts cathodically in the presence of the substrates. The data revealed kinetic constraints in the formation of the receptor/substrate entity for dipic(2-), ph(2-) and iph(2-) anions, but not for p-nbz(-). In spite of the slow kinetics of assembled species formation with the ph(2-) substrate, this anion provides the largest redox-response when the supramolecular entity is formed, followed by dipic(2-), iph(2-) and finally p-nbz(-) anions. This trend is in agreement with the (1)H NMR results and the values of the binding constants. Single crystal X-ray structures of the receptor with PF(6)(-), ph(2-), iph(2-) and p-nbz(-) were carried out and showed that supermolecules with a RS(2) stoichiometry are formed with the first three anions, but RS(4) with p-nbz(-). In all cases the binding occurs outside the macrocyclic cavity via N-H...O=C hydrogen bonds for carboxylate anions and N-H...F hydrogen bonds for the PF(6)(-) anion, which is in agreement with the solution results. The macrocyclic framework adopts different conformations in order to interact with each substrate having Fe...Fe intramolecular distances ranging from 10.125(14) to 12.783(15)A.     

Coalescence in three-phase fluid systems

Summary The gravity coalescence of drops at flat fluid/liquid interfaces was studied in three-phase systems. Rest-time distributions were in qualitative agreement with the earlier theory of Charles and Mason for two-phase systems. The probability of coalescence increased inversely with the square of intervening film thickness. Partial coalescence was similar to that previously observed in two-phase systems. The viscosity of the drop affected the mechanism of coalescence more than the viscosities of the other phases.

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Zusammenfassung Es wurde die Koaleszenz von Tropfen an ebenen Flüssigkeits-Flüssigkeitsgrenzfl?chen in Dreiphasensystemen untersucht. Die beobachtete Verteilung der Verweilzeiten ist in qualitativer übereinstimmung mit der Theorie von Charles und Mason für Zweiphasensysteme. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit dafür, da? Koaleszenz auftritt, nimmt umgekehrt proportional mit dem Quadrat der Filmdicke zwischen Tropfen und Phasengrenze zu. Die partielle Koaleszenz war ?hnlich, wie sie früher in Zweiphasensystemen beobachtet worden war. Die Viskosit?t des Tropfens beeinflu?t den Mechanismus der Koaleszenz mehr als die Viskosit?t der anderen Phasen.

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Structural stability and energetics of C,Si, and Ge microclusters: empirical many-body potential energy function calculation

The structural stability and energetics of carbon, silicon, and germanium microclusters containing 3?7 atoms have been investigated by using a recently developed empirical many-body potential energy function (PEF), which comprises two- and three-body atomic interactions. The PEF satisfies both bulk cohesive energy per atom and bulk stability exactly. It has been found that the most stable C_3?4 microclusters are linear withD _∞h symmetry but C_5?7 microclusters are planar withD _nh symmetry. Silicon and germanium microclusters show similar structural stability. TheX _n (X=Si, Ge;n=3?7) microclusters are found to be most stable in the following forms:X ₃ is triangular withD _3h symmetry,X ₄ is tetragonal withT _d symmetry,X ₅ is square pyramidal withD _4h symmetry,X ₆ is bipyramidal square withO _h symmetry, and finallyX ₇ is square pyramidal having two atoms underneath withD _2h symmetry.     

Study of peptides containing modified lysine residues by tandem mass spectrometry: precursor ion scanning of hexanal-modified peptides

Upon hexanal-modification in the presence of NaCNBH(3), the oxidized B chain of insulin becomes mono- and further dialkylated on both the N-terminal and Lys(29) residues. A pseudo-MS(3) study was performed with a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer on the different modified lysine-containing species to gain further insights into the characteristic fragmentation pattern. These fragmentations, in good agreement with true MS(3) measurements obtained using an ion trap mass spectrometer, highlighted characteristic monoalkylated lysine (immonium-NH(3)) and protonated modified caprolactam ions at m/z 168 and 213, respectively. In contrast, no fragment ion derived from a modified lysine residue (immonium or caprolactam) was observed when dialkylation occurs on Lys(29). However, a fragment ion corresponding to a protonated dihexylamine was observed at m/z 186. This loss, characteristic of dialkylated lysine fragmentation, was also observed upon dialkylation of N(alpha)-acetyllysine with either hexanal or pentanal. On the other hand, acetylation and malondialdehyde-modification of the N(alpha)-acetyllysine side chain led mainly to the corresponding modified (immonium-NH(3)) fragment ions at m/z 126 and 138, respectively. Finally, it was demonstrated that precursor ion scanning for both m/z 168 and 213 ions led to specific and sensitive identification of peptides containing hexanal-modified lysine residues within an unfractionated tryptic digest of hexanal-modified apomyoglobin. Thus, Lys(42), Lys(45), Lys(62), Lys(63), Lys(77), Lys(87), Lys(96), Lys(98), Lys(145) and Lys(147) were found to be modified upon reaction with hexanal.     

1H and 13C assignments of two new triterpenes from Cladocolea grahami

The structure elucidation and 1H and 13C assignments of the new triterpenes 3beta-palmitoxy-7beta-hydroxyolean-12-ene (1) and its hydrolysis product 3beta,7beta-dihydroxyolean-12-ene (2) and 3beta-sn-glyceroyl-(1'-palmitoxy)urs-12-ene (3), isolated from the aerial parts of Cladocolea grahami (Loranthaceae), are reported.