Microcolumns with self-assembled particle frits for proteomics

LC-MS-MS experiments in proteomics are usually performed with packed microcolumns employing frits or outlets smaller than the particle diameter to retain the packing material. We have developed packed microcolumns using self-assembled particles (SAPs) as frits that are smaller than the size of the outlet. A five to one ratio of outlet size to particle diameter appears to be the upper maximum. In these situations the particles assembled into an arch over the outlet like the stones in a stone bridge. When 3 microm particles were packed into a tapered column with an 8 microm outlet, two particles bridged the outlet with 0.3 pl dead volume and perfect success rate. In peptide analysis by LC-MS, the peak width at half height was normally less than 6 s, compared to 12 s without SAPs. The LC-MS-MS system provided 37% sequence coverage (21 matched peptides) for a tryptically-digested sample of 10 fmol bovine serum albumin. We also describe application of the SAP principle to make disposable pipette tip columns with short pieces of fused-silica capillary as the outlet.     

Conformation and Dynamics of (−)-β-Caryophyllene

(?)-β-Caryophyllene (1) adopts three conformations in solution: αα(48%), βα(28%), and ββ(24%). The conformations were identified by an analysis of the ¹³C- and ¹H-NMR spectra at ?87.2 and ?153.8° in connection with APT, HETCOR, and COSY spectra, and subsequent NOESY experiments. The activation parameters of the conversion αα → βα were determined from a bandshape analysis of exchange-broadened ¹³C-NMR spectra of 8-[methylene-¹³C]- 1 to give ΔH^≠ = 5.9 ± 0.3 kcal/mol, ΔS^? = ?8.1 ± 1.8 cal/mol. · K. and ΔG = ?8.3 ± 0.8 kcal/mol. The observed population ratio of the different conformers is best described by MM3.     

Weak itinerant magnetism as inhibited superconductivity

Thep-state pairing idea proposed recently to explain the ferromagnetism of ZrZn₂ is described in more detail, and the underlying soft-mode hypothesis is examined in relation with experiments, in particular the discovery of antiferromagnetism in TiBe₂. The key result, namely an electron-phonon contribution to the Stoner factor given essentially by the mass enhancement factor, is used to explain the behaviour of the Curie pointT _m and to predict an isotope effect.p-state superconductivity with a transition temperature determined by is predicted in TiBe₂ and, above the critical pressure whereT _m =0, also in ZrZn₂.Work in La Jolla supported by NSF/DMR 77-08469.     

Optimization of Direct Aromatic 18F-Labeling of Tetrazines

Radiolabeling of tetrazines has gained increasing attention due to their important role in pretargeted imaging or therapy. The most commonly used radionuclide in PET imaging is fluorine-18. For this reason, we have recently developed a method which enables the direct aromatic ¹⁸F-fluorination of tetrazines using stannane precursors through copper-mediated fluorinations. Herein, we further optimized this labeling procedure. 3-(3-fluorophenyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine was chosen for this purpose because of its high reactivity and respective limited stability during the labeling process. By optimizing parameters such as elution conditions, precursor amount, catalyst, time or temperature, the radiochemical yield (RCY) could be increased by approximately 30%. These conditions were then applied to optimize the RCY of a recently successfully developed and promising pretargeting imaging agent. This agent could be isolated in a decay corrected RCY of 14 ± 3% and Am of 201 ± 30 GBq/µmol in a synthesis time of 70 min. Consequently, the RCY increased by 27%.     

Structures of oxaliplatin‐oligonucleotide adducts from DNA

Oxaliplatin, [(1R,2R)‐cyclohexane‐1,2‐diamine](ethanedioato‐O,O')platinum(II) shows a great efficiency against colorectal cancer. Although the mode of action of oxaliplatin is not yet understood, it is commonly accepted that binding of oxaliplatin to DNA prevents DNA synthesis and alters protein to DNA binding. In order to elucidate the modified DNA–protein interaction and thus to understand the mechanisms leading to cellular misinterpretation of DNA information and apoptosis, we have identified the preferential binding sites and the dynamics of the oxaliplatin‐DNA intrastrand and interstrand adducts at the oligomer level using high‐performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization‐tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI‐MS/MS) and HPLC/inductively coupled plasma‐MS for quantitative studies. We used a combination of benzonase, alkaline phosphatase and Nuclease S1 for digestion. This digestion procedure allows the study of platinated oligomeric nucleotides and more complex interstrand adducts. The digestion products were mostly chromatographically separated and characterized using HPLC/ESI‐ion trap MS/MS experiments. We could show that the adducts to guanine and adenine are quite dynamic; that is, the ratios are changing for several days. In addition, the resulting adducts provide evidence for the action of the digesting enzymes and indicate that the adduct spectrum at the oligomeric level is different to that at the commonly studies dinucleotide level. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.