Physico-chemical characterization of liposomes with covalently attached hepatitis A VP3(101-121) synthetic peptide.

The covalent conjugation of a 20-mer peptide belonging to the VP3 capsid protein of hepatitis A virus to the surface of preformed liposomes was investigated. Three different bonds (disulfide, thioether and amide) were established between the peptide sequence and liposomes bearing at their surface appropriate reactive groups. The effect of the relative concentration of the N-[4-(p-maleimidophenyl)butyryl]dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine anchor in liposomes on stability during coupling of the peptide sequence was studied. The interaction of the three liposomal preparations with phospholipids in a biomembrane model system, monolayers at the air-water interface, is also reported. The results showed that although the peptides associate with liposomes in similar yields for the three strategies studied, differences can be observed when their interaction with phospholipid monolayers composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine is analysed.     

A one-pot synthesis to [(Me3Si)3SiSb]4; a potential precursor for Sb42-

The reaction of (Me(3)Si)(3)SiK[middle dot]18-crown-6 with SbCl(3)(3 : 1 equiv.) provides a simple route to the title complex [(Me(3)Si)(3)SiSb](4). The potassium base initially acts as a nucleophile and then as a coupling agent, forming Sb-Sb bonds.     

Potassium-selective optrode based on an immobilized fluorogenic crown ether

A new optical sensor phase for potassium ions has been developed based on the immobilization of the pH-dependent fluorogenic crown ether 4-acryloylamidobenzo-18-crown-6 on the non-ionic polymeric resin Amberlite XAD-2.Two different optical designs, a flow-through sensor and a fibre optic probetype sensor (optrode), have been constructed and their analytical performance characteristics have been evaluated. The resulting fluorimetric sensors for K⁺ ions exhibited detection limits of 0.4 or 0.8 M of K⁺ (16 g/l or 31 g/l), depending on the design, while the linear response occurred from 1 to 25 M of the metal concentrations. The precision, evaluated as the relative standard deviation of measurements of K⁺ levels at around ten times the detection limit (e.g. 5 M), turned out to be around ±2%.Advantageous features of this fluorimetric sensing phase and optrode include ease of construction, simplicity of use, reversibility, short response times (ca. 1 min full scale deflection) selectivity and operational stability, suitable for sensing potassium at low levels in complex matrices such as biological fluids.The fluorimetric optical sensor has been successfully applied to the direct determination of potassium in clinically important samples (serum and urine) and in natural waters. Very good accuracy has been obtained just using adequate synthetic aqueous potassium standards for calibration.     

Electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometric analyses to solve micro-heterogeneity in post-translationally modified peptides from Phoneutria nigriventer (Aranea, Ctenidae) venom

Previous studies of the fractionated venom of the Brazilian armed spider Phoneutria nigriventer, obtained by gel filtration, have demonstrated the presence of a fraction PhM, a pool of small peptides (up to 2000 Da) that provoke contractions in smooth muscle of guinea pig ileum. Initial attempts to sequence these peptides were largely unsuccessful because of the low purification yield and the fact that the majority seemed to be blocked at their N-termini. In the present work, analysis of this venom fraction by mass spectrometry has revealed the existence of a highly complex mixture of peptides with molecular weights corresponding to those observed for the muscle-active peptides previously described (800-1800 Da). These peptides appear to be a family of isoforms with some particular features. The amino acid sequences of 15 isoforms have been determined by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) using both electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-Q/ToFMS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF/ToFMS). These molecules contain post-translational modifications such as proteolysis and C-terminal amidation, which combine to generate additional isoforms. All the isoforms sequenced in this study possess an N-terminal pyroglutamic acid residue. A search for sequence similarities with other peptides in databanks revealed that these peptides are structurally related to the tachykinins, a family of neuro-hormone peptides. The data obtained in this study will be essential for the subsequent steps of this research, the synthesis of these peptides and pharmacological characterization of their biological activity.     

Trehalose-based cyclodextrin analogs: cyclotrehalans (CTs)

A new concept for the de novo synthesis of artificial glyconanocavities is presented. The use of alternating α,α′-trehalose building blocks and (thio)urea segments allows the efficient synthesis of a new family of cyclooligosaccharides, namely cyclotrehalans (CTs), featuring a convex-shaped cavity with an apolar environment. CTs are designed to exhibit molecular inclusion abilities similar to that of cyclodextrins (CDs). Contrary to CDs, CTs expose the monosaccharide β-face to the inner cavity, while the (thio)urea tethers provides some conformational adaptability. High-yielding syntheses of a series of CTs and a preliminary evaluation of their inclusion properties are reported.     

Stereoselective Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation of cyclobutyl chiral enamides: double stereodifferentiation vs catalyst-controlled diastereoselection

The hydrogenation reactions of several cyclobutyl enamides derived from (-)-alpha-pinene or (-)-verbenone have been investigated by using different catalysts. The chiralities of both the substrate and the catalyst as well as the Z/E stereochemistry of the double bond have been considered, and the observed diastereoselectivity has been rationalized. For enamides with the double bond separated from the cyclobutane by a methylene, the Wilkinson catalyst did not induce any diastereoselection, but excellent diastereoselectivity was observed when using Et-DuPHOS-Rh and ChiraPHOS-Rh. The configuration of the new stereogenic center was catalyst-dependent and can be rationalized according to the Halpern mechanism. For (Z)-enamides with the double bond directly linked to the cyclobutane ring, the chirality of the substrate governed the diastereoselection and the Halpern mechanism seemed not to be operative in the hydrogenation with ChiraPHOS, with the configuration of the new stereogenic center being determined by steric effects. On the contrary, the chirality of the catalyst was the factor determining the stereochemistry of the major products with alkyl-DuPHOS-Rh. Z/E stereochemistry influenced the stereodifferentiation, and a different behavior for each Z or E stereoisomer was found. For both (Z)- and (E)-enamides, some instances of match/mismatch between the chirality of the substrate and that of the catalyst were observed. As a result of all of these studies, a series of new cyclobutyl alpha-amino acids has been synthesized. These products are interesting to incorporate into conformationally constrained peptides.     

Formation of a nanostructured layer on bioglass particles of different sizes immersed in tris-buffered solution. N2 adsorption and HR-TEM/EDS analysis

Morphological and structural variations of particles of Bioglass with two different grain sizes reacted in Tris-buffered solution were analyzed by means of N(2) adsorption/desorption at 77 K and HR-TEM/EDS. A remarkable increase in specific surface area (ssa) was observed after the first hour of dissolution. A plateau value corresponding to an increase of at least 2 orders of magnitude was reached after 2 days of dissolution. The ssa increase was faster for the smaller particle size sample, and the ratio between the ssa of the starting samples was not maintained during dissolution. Both micro- and mesopores were formed at different stages of the reaction for the two samples. Increasing ssa was also connected to the formation of a microcrystalline structure rich in Ca and P, as shown by TEM images. The segregation of both a SiO(2)-rich amorphous phase and a Ca/P-rich crystalline phase was observed after the first hour of dissolution. After 2 days of reaction, Ca/P-rich particles made of fine aciculate crystals were found either in close contact with SiO(2) particles or deposited on a small SiO(2)-rich core. A preliminary analysis of TEM data showed the formation, together with hydroxy carbonate apatite, of different types of calcium phosphates not detectable by powder X-ray diffraction.     

Evaluating the significance threshold in robustness testing. A critical discussion on the influence of time in molecular fluorescence spectrometry

Robustness experiments are performed in analytical chemistry to assess the behaviour of an analytical procedure under conditions slightly different from those of the experimental optimum. This work presents a study of robustness applied to a previously proposed fluorescent methodology using two replicated 2(7-4) saturated fractional factorial designs. A comparison is established between three different ways to test the significance of the effects of the variables involved on the response signal. Critical discussions about the most appropriate threshold to be introduced when testing for significance of the factors and the influence of the time necessary to carry out the experiments are included.     

Surface activity of thymol: implications for an eventual pharmacological activity

In the present work, we studied the ability of thymol to affect the organization of model membranes and the activity of an intrinsic membrane protein, the GABA(A) receptor (GABA(A)-R). In this last aspect, we tried to elucidate if the action mechanism of this terpene at the molecular level, involves its binding to the receptor protein, changes in the organization of the receptor molecular environment, or both. The self-aggregation of thymol in water with a critical micellar concentration approximately = 4 microM and its ability to penetrate in monomolecular layers of soybean phosphatidylcholine (sPC) at the air-water interface, even at surface pressures above the equilibrium, lateral pressure of natural bilayers were demonstrated. Thymol affected the self-aggregation of Triton X-100 and the topology of sPC vesicles. It also increased the polarity of the membrane environment sensed by the electrochromic dye merocyanine. A dipolar moment of 1.341 Debye was calculated from its energy-minimized structure. Its effect on the binding of [3H]-flunitrazepam ([3H]-FNZ) to chick brain synaptosomal membranes changed qualitatively from a tendency to the inhibition to a clear activatory regime, up on changing the phase state of the terpene (from a monomeric to a self-aggregated state). Above its CMC, thymol increased the affinity of the binding of [3H]-FNZ (K(d-control)= 2.9, K(d-thymol)= 1.7 nM) without changing the receptor density (B(max-control)= 910, B(max-thymol)= 895 fmol/mg protein). The activatory effect of thymol on the binding of [ [3H]-FNZ was observed even in the presence of the allosteric activator gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at a concentration of maximal activity, and was blocked by the GABA antagonist bicuculline. Changes in the dipolar arrangement and in the molecular packing of GABA(A)-R environment are discussed as possible mediators of the action mechanism of thymol.     

In situ studies of methanol decomposition and oxidation on Pd(111) by PM-IRAS and XPS spectroscopy

Methanol decomposition and oxidation on Pd(111) at millibar pressure were studied by in situ polarization-modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRAS), on-line gas chromatography and pre- and postreaction X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Various dehydrogenation products such as methoxy CH3O, formaldehyde CH2O, formyl CHO, and CO could be spectroscopically identified. Methanol oxidation proceeds via dehydrogenation to formaldehyde CH2O, which either desorbs or is further dehydrogenated to CO, which is subsequently oxidized to CO2. Carbonaceous overlayers that are present during the reaction may favorably affect the selectivity toward CH2O. The reaction takes place on metallic Pd, and no indications of an involvement of Pd surface oxide were observed.