Two-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations of a colloidal dispersion composed of polydisperse ferromagnetic particles in an applied magnetic field

We have investigated aggregation phenomena in a polydisperse colloidal dispersion of ferromagnetic particles simulated by employing the cluster-moving Monte Carlo method in an applied magnetic field. The influence of both particle-particle and particle-field interactions on the aggregate structures is analyzed in terms of a pair correlation function. The results obtained in this study are summarized as follows: Under a strong magnetic field, chainlike clusters are formed along the magnetic field direction, and they become thickly clustered with an increase in the strength of the external magnetic field. Moreover, the thickly clustered chains are formed for a polydisperse system that has a large standard deviation of particle diameters. In contrast, for a very weak magnetic field, the strong interaction between the larger particles gives rise to the formation of various shapes in the chainlike clusters, including bending, looping, and branching. With an increase in the external magnetic field, these structures reorganize to form straight chainlike clusters. Furthermore, the thickness of the chainlike clusters for the polydisperse system is found to depend on the standard deviation of the particle-size distribution but is found to be independent of the magnetic field strength.     

Characterization of human residual catalase of an acatalasemic patient by isoelectric focusing and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by electrophoretic blotting and immunodetection

Isoelectric points and subunit sizes of catalases in human blood and human cultured skin fibroblasts from acatalasemic and normal subjects were analyzed by isoelectric focusing in agarose gel and by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively, followed by electroblotting to polyvinylidene difluoride membranes for immunodetection. The results indicated that the isoelectric point of residual catalase in the C fraction prepared from acatalasemic erythrocytes was identical with that of catalase prepared from normal erythrocytes. The residual catalase in homogenates of acatalasemic cultured skin fibroblasts also reacted with anticatalase rabbit serum and had an isoelectric point identical with that of normal catalase. Subunit sizes of normal and acatalasemic catalases in the C fractions of erythrocytes were also found to be identical on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, followed by electroblotting and immunoenzymatic amplification. The results indicated no substantial difference in molecular size and charge of catalase proteins between normal and acatalasemic erythrocytes and fibroblasts.     

Preparation of dehydrated powder of hemoglobin vesicles

The carbonyl hemoglobin (CO-Hb), which was used to prevent denaturation (metHb) during the preparation of samples, was encapsulated into lipid vesicles constituted from unsaturated phospholipid, cholesterol and unsaturated fatty acid. Unsaturated components were polymerized by γ-irradiation to enhance the stability of bilayer membrane. An aqueous dispersion of resulting Hb vesicles was freeze-dried in the presence of saccharides (50–200 mM) to obtain a dehydrated powder of Hb vesicles. Change in the vesicle size, the leakage of encapsulated Hb and the oxidation of Hb to metHb were not observed. Therefore, the long-term storage of Hb vesicles can be realized as a dry powder.     

Practical synthesis of a neuropeptide Y antagonist via stereoselective addition to a ketene

[Reaction: see text]. The synthesis of neuropeptide Y antagonist 1, currently under clinical investigation for the treatment of obesity, is described. The convergent synthesis from trans-spirolactone carboxylic acid intermediate 2a and aminopyrazole 3 is predicated on a stereoselective route to the former. The coupling reaction of ethyl 4-oxocyclohexanecarboxylate (10a) with lithiated isonicotinamide 11 was investigated in detail, but even optimized conditions only provided a 45:55 ratio of trans:cis isomers (12a:12b). While selective crystallization schemes were developed to isolate the thermodynamically less stable trans isomer 2a, improved stereocontrol was subsequentially achieved by the application of ketene chemistry. The ketene formation and quench was investigated under a variety of conditions aimed at maximizing the trans:cis ratio. Reacting a mixture of carboxylic acids 2a and 2b with POCl3 in THF, followed by concomitant addition of tert-butyl alcohol in the presence of TMEDA at 35 degrees C provided a 4:1 ratio of trans:cis tert-butyl esters (18a:18b) via in situ ketene formation. Ester hydrolysis, followed by selective crystallization of undesired 2b as the HCl salt, led to isolation of 2a in 47% overall yield. Aminopyrazole intermediate 3 was synthesized via the condensation reaction of 2-fluorophenylhydrazine hydrochloride (4a) with acrylonitrile derivative 5 in 65-70% yield. Coupling of advanced intermediates 2a and 3b via activation with thionyl chloride gave a 92% yield of 1.     

CAST/CNMR: highly accurate C NMR chemical shift prediction system considering stereochemistry

Accurate, practical prediction of ¹³C NMR chemical shifts has been achieved with a new system, CAST/CNMR, taking account of stereochemistry. The CAST/CNMR system has solved the critical problem of the accurate distinction of differences and similarities in stereochemical structures around a specific carbon, which has not yet been achieved by any other database-oriented system for prediction of ¹³C NMR chemical shifts. CAST/CNMR uses a three-dimensional structural database together with a ¹³C NMR spectral database. Absolute/relative configurational and conformational structural information are described by the CAST (CAnonical-representation of STereochemistry) coding method. This paper provides an overview of the CAST/CNMR system, and describes its application to two natural products as examples.     

Synthesis and structure of 1-zirconacyclopent-3-yne complexes without substituents adjacent to the triple bond

Five-membered metallacyclic alkynes that have no substituents adjacent to the triple bond have been synthesized, isolated, and structurally characterized. Zirconocene dichlorides, Cp'2ZrCl2 (Cp' = C5H5, C5H4-t-Bu), reacted with 1,4-dichlorobut-2-yne in the presence of magnesium to give 1-zirconacyclopent-3-yne compounds (5 (a) Cp' = C5H5, (b) Cp' = C5H4-t-Bu) that have a -CH2CCCH2- moiety in good yields. They are stable enough to be isolated in a pure form, despite the absence of substituents. 5a reacted with an equimolar amount of Cp2Zr(but-1-ene)(PMe3) to produce a bimetallic complex in which the zirconacyclopentyne coordinates to the other zirconocene moiety as an alkyne.     

Preparative high-yield electroelution of proteins after separation by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and its application to analysis of amino acid sequences and to raise antibodies.

A method for the preparative high-yield electroelution of proteins from sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel strips was established. The method consisted of SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, detection of proteins with sodium acetate and electrophoretic elution at 200 V for 3 h by utilizing a horizontal flat-bed gel electrophoresis apparatus. Standard proteins with molecular masses of 14-66 kilodalton (cytochrome c, aldolase, ovalbumin and bovine serum albumin) were recovered with an average yield of 73.6 +/- 2.3%. A membrane-bound protein, rat skeletal muscle Ca(2+)-ATPase (100 kilodalton) was also well recovered (over 60%). This method was applicable to the purification of proteins required for N-terminal amino acid sequencing and to raise antibodies.     

ALL-trans β-CAROTENE-5,6-EPOXIDE IN THYLAKOID MEMBRANES

All- trans β-carotene-5,6-epoxide has been found in the thylakoid membranes of spinach and of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus vulcanus Copeland. The epoxide was extracted from the thylakoid membranes with acetone, and was isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The structure of the epoxide was identified by means of mass, Raman, and electronic absorption spectroscopy. Changes in the amount of the epoxide, as a result of epoxidation and (apparent) de-epoxidation reactions in the membranes, were traced by analysis of extracts on HPLC. In isolated thylakoid membranes, only the epoxidation reaction took place. The reaction was caused by irradiation or by the addition of ferricyanide, suggesting that electron transport reactions in the membranes are involved in the epoxidation. In intact spinach leaves, however, both epoxidation and de-epoxidation took place; the extent of epoxidation correlated with the intensity of light incident on the leaves. The epoxidation and de-epoxidation of all- trans β-carotene are contrasted with those of xanthophylls (in the violaxanthin cycle).