Fluorescent sensor for Cu2+ with a tunable emission wavelength

A concept of fluorescent metal ion sensing with an easily tunable emission wavelength is presented and its principle demonstrated by detection of Cu(2+). A fluorescein dye was chemically modified with a metal chelating group and then attached to the terminus of ss-DNA. This was combined with a complementary ss-DNA modified with another fluorescent dye (ATTO 590), emitting at a longer wavelength. In the assembled duplex, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the fluorescein donor (excited at 470 nm) and the ATTO 590 acceptor (emitting at 624 nm) is observed. Proper positioning within the rigid DNA double helix prevents intramolecular contact quenching of the two dyes. Coordination of paramagnetic Cu(2+) ions by the chelating unit of the sensor results in direct fluorescence quenching of the fluorescein dye and indirect (by loss of FRET) quenching of the ATTO 590 emission at 624 nm. As a result, emission of the acceptor dye can be used for monitoring of the concentration of Cu(2+), with a 20 nM detection limit. The emission wavelength is readily tuned by replacement of ATTO-DNA by other commercially available DNA-acceptor dye conjugates. Fluorescent metal ion sensors emitting at >600 nm are very rare. The possibility of tuning the emission wavelength is important with respect to the optimization of this sensor type for application to biological samples, which usually show broad autofluorescence at <550 nm.     

Asymmetric lithiation of 2-alkynyl aryl sulfides—Enantio- and diastereoselective formation of allenyl aryl sulfides and their application in nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions

The enantio- and diastereoselective synthesis of allenyl aryl sulfides by asymmetric lithiation of 2-alkynyl (2-hetero)aryl sulfides is described. A dynamic thermodynamic resolution by selective crystallization of the intermediate lithium complexes derived from deprotonation, applying a bis(oxazoline) ligand, was achieved to give enantioselectivities up to 85% ee. Subsequent stereospecific nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with arylzinc reagents established a versatile access to threefold carbon-substituted allenes.     

Epitaxial growth of sexiphenyl on Al(111): from monolayer to crystalline films

A combination of in situ surface sensitive-techniques, UV photoemission and low energy electron diffraction, with ex situ bulk sensitive X-ray diffraction reveals the formation of epitaxial thin films of sexiphenyl on Al(111) starting from the first monolayer. For room temperature growth, highly ordered films are formed with a unique alignment of the sexiphenyl molecules with the long axes of all molecules aligned parallel to both the surface and the <10> azimuthal directions of Al(111). This is related to a densely packed highly commensurate first monolayer, which acts as a template for the unique (21) crystallite orientation observed.     

Thermisch stimulierte Lumineszenzerscheinungen. I Einfluß der Vorbehandlung von Kupferstaub und das Phänomen „Kontaktgedächtnis”︁

Thermally Stimulated Luminescence Phenomena. I. Influence of Pretreatment of Copper Dust and the Phenomenon “Contact Memory” The thermally stimulated luminescence of so-called “copper dust” is strongly influenced by its pretreatment. Samples which have been cooled prior to measurement show lower energies and those which have been mechanically treated, irradiated or heated, show higher thermoluminescence energies than samples which have been stored normally. After removal of the samples from the metallic carrier and subsequent heating of the latter, the thermoluminescence energies are proportional to those found for the sample measured immediately before. This phenomenon is considered as “contact memory”. All results are interpreted according to the concept of the hierarchic order.     

Targeting bacterial virulence: inhibitors of type III secretion in Yersinia

Agents that target bacterial virulence without detrimental effect on bacterial growth are useful chemical probes for studies of virulence and potential candidates for drug development. Several gram-negative pathogens employ type III secretion to evade the innate immune response of the host. Screening of a chemical library with a luciferase reporter gene assay in viable Yersinia pseudotuberculosis furnished several compounds that inhibit the reporter gene signal expressed from the yopE promoter and effector protein secretion at concentrations with no or modest effect on bacterial growth. The selectivity patterns observed for inhibition of various reporter gene strains indicate that the compounds target the type III secretion machinery at different levels. Identification of this set of inhibitors illustrates the approach of utilizing cell-based assays to identify compounds that affect complex bacterial virulence systems.     

Synthesis and single-molecule studies of a well-defined biomimetic modular multidomain polymer using a peptidomimetic beta-sheet module

In the pursuit of advanced biomaterials with combined strength, toughness, and elasticity, a new class of well-defined modular polymers has been synthesized, and their nanomechanical properties have been studied using atomic force microscopy. These polymers are based on a peptidomimetic beta-sheet-based double-closed loop (DCL) module, which was designed to overcome the limitation of the modular polymers we reported previously (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 2059). Single-molecule force-extension experiments revealed the sequential unfolding of these modules as the polymer is stretched, resulting in more regular sawtooth-patterned curves similar to those seen in titin and other biopolymers. The single-molecule data agreed well with computer modeling, which suggested that hydrogen bonding and pi-stacking are both involved in the formation of small DCL clusters along the polymer chain.     

Role of electron-transfer processes in reactions of diarylcarbenium ions and related quinone methides with nucleophiles

Second-harmonic alternating current voltammetry has been used to determine one-electron reduction potentials of 15 diarylcarbenium ions and 5 structurally analogous quinone methides, which have been employed as reference electrophiles for the development of nucleophilicity scales. A linear correlation (r(2) = 0.993) between the empirical electrophilicity parameters E and the reduction potentials in acetonitrile (E = 14.091E degrees (red) - 0.279) covering a range of 1.64 V (or 158 kJ mol(-)(1)) has been observed. For a large number of nucleophiles, it has been demonstrated that the observed activation free energies of the electrophile-nucleophile combinations are 61-195 kJ mol(-)(1) smaller than the free energy change of electron transfer from nucleophile to electrophile, which definitely excludes outer-sphere electron transfer occurring during these reactions.     

Kinetics of lamellar-to-cubic and intercubic phase transitions of pure and cytochrome c containing monoolein dispersions monitored by time-resolved small-angle X-ray diffraction

We investigated the effect of incorporation of a small aqueous peripheral membrane protein (cyt c) into the three-dimensional periodic nanochannel structures formed by the lipid monoolein (MO) on its rich phase behavior as a function of temperature, pressure, and protein concentration using synchrotron X-ray small-angle diffraction. By simultaneous use of the pressure-jump relaxation technique and time-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction, we also studied the kinetics of various lipid mesophase transformations of the system for understanding the mechanistic pathways of their formation influenced by the protein-lipid interactions. Cyt c incorporated into the bicontinuous cubic phase Ia3d of MO has a significant effect on the lipid structure and the pressure stability of the system already at low protein concentrations. Concentrations higher than 0.2 wt % of cyt c led to an increase in interfacial curvature due to interaction of the protein with the lipid headgroups. This promotes the formation of a new, probably partially micellar cubic phase of crystallographic space group P4(3)32. Upon pressurization, the P4(3)32 phase undergoes a phase transition to a cubic Pn3m phase with smaller partial specific volume. Increase in protein concentration increases the pressure stability of the P4(3)32 phase. The formation of this phase from the cubic phase Pn3m is a slow process taking many seconds and having a time lag in the beginning. It seems to occur as a two-state process without ordered intermediate states. At temperatures above 60 degrees C, the P4(3)32 phase is unable to accommodate the unfolded protein and transforms to a bicontinuous cubic Ia3d phase. Time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering studies show that the L(alpha) --> Ia3d transition in pure MO dispersions under limited hydration conditions occurs within a time interval of 1 s at 35 degrees C preceded by a lag phase of 1.5 s. The Ia3d cubic phase initially forms with a much larger lattice constant due to hydration and experiences an initially lower curvature that relaxes within about 1 s. Interestingly, no other cubic phases are involved as intermediates in the transition, i.e., the gyroid cubic phase is able to form directly from the L(alpha) phase. The mechanism behind the L(alpha) --> Ia3d transition in pure MO dispersions has been discussed within the framework of recent stalk models for membrane fusion. In the presence of cyt c, the L(alpha) --> Ia3d transition is much slower. The rather long relaxation times of the order of seconds are probably due to a kinetic trapping of the system and limitation by the transport and redistribution of water and lipid in the evolving new lipid phases. We also studied the transition from the pure lamellar L(alpha) phase to the Ia3d-P4(3)32 two phase region and observed a rather complex transition behavior with transient lamellar and cubic intermediate states.     

Transformation of acridines and azepines into the corresponding 3-oxo-heterocycles by means of hypervalent aromatic iodine compounds

Summary The acridines3,5, and6, as well as the dibenzo[b,f]-azepine4 were converted into the 3-oxo-derivatives7–10 using hypervalent iodine compounds (iodosylbenzene and bis-(trifluoroacetoxy)iodopentafluorobenzene).

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Oxidation von Acridinen und Azepinen in ihre 3-Oxoderivate mit Hilfe von hypervalenten aromatischen Jodverbindungen (Kurze Mitt.)

Zusammenfassung Die Acridine3,5 und6 sowie das Dibenzo[b,f]azepin4 wurden mit Hilfe der beiden hypervalenten Jod-Verbindungen Jodosobenzol (1) und Bis-trifluoroacetoxyiodbenzol (2) zu den entsprechenden 3-Acridinonen7,9 und10 sowie zum Dibenzoazepin-3-on8 oxidiert.

     

Purine analog inhibitors of xanthine oxidase - structure activity relationships and proposed binding of the molybdenum cofactor

A number of new hypoxanthine analogs have been prepared as substrate inhibitors of xanthine oxidase. Most noteworthy inhibitory new hypoxanthine analogs are 3-(m-tolyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-7-one ( 47 ), ID₅₀ 0.06 μM and 3-phenylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-7-one ( 46 ), ID₅₀ 0.40 μM. 5-(p-Chlorophenyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-7-one ( 63 ) and the corresponding 5-nitrophenyl derivative 64 exhibited an ID₅₀ of 0.21 and 0.23 μM, respectively. 7-Phenylpyrazolo[1,5-a]-s-triazin-4-one ( 40 ) is shown to exhibit an ID₅₀ of 0.047 μM. The structure-activity relationships of these new phenyl substituted hypoxanthine analogs are discussed and compared with the xanthine analogs 3-m-tolyl- and 3-phenyl-7-hydroxypyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-5-ones ( 90 ) and ( 91 ), previously reported from our laboratory to have ID₅₀ of 0.025 and 0.038 μM, respectively. The presence of the phenyl and substitutedphenyl groups contribute directly to the substrate binding of these potent inhibitors. This work presents an updated study of structure-activity relationships and binding to xanthine oxidase. In view of the recent elucidation of the pterin cofactor and the proposed binding of this factor to the molybdenum ion in xanthine oxidase, a detailed mechanism of xanthine oxidase oxidation of hypoxanthine and xanthine is proposed. Three types of substrate binding are viewed for xanthine oxidase. The binding of xanthine to xanthine oxidase is termed Type I binding. The binding of hypoxanthine is termed Type II binding and the specific binding of alloxanthine is assigned as Type III binding. These three types of substrate binding are analyzed relative to the most potent compounds known to inhibit xanthine oxidase and these inhibitors have been classified as to the type of inhibitor binding most likely to be associated with specific enzyme inhibition. The structural requirements for each type of binding can be clearly seen to correlate with the inhibitory activity observed. The chemical syntheses of the new 3-phenyl- and 3-substituted phenylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines with various substituents are reported. The syntheses of various 8-phenyl-2-substituted pyrazolo-[1,5-a]-s-triazines, certain s-triazolo[1,5-a]-s-triazines and s-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives prepared in connection with the present study are also described.