Design,synthesis and antibacterial activity evaluation of novel 2-(4-((1-aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy)phenyl)2-(2-oxoazetidin-1-yl)acetamide derivatives

In this paper, a novel series of 2-(4-((1-aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy)phenyl)2-(2-oxoazetidin-1-yl)acetamide derivatives are synthesized in two steps. The first step involved Ugi multicomponent reaction of β-alanine, o-(propargyl)benzaldehyde and isocyanide derivatives. The product of this step, underwent a click 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction with benzyl azide derivatives. The 2-(4-((1-aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy)phenyl)2-(2-oxoazetidin-1-yl)acetamide product was characterized and their antibacterial activities were evaluated against various G-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and G-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) bacteria, using minimal inhibition concentration. The compounds showed very good antimicrobial activity and a number of products have been more active than ciprofloxacin.     

An Efficient Method for the Synthesis of 3-Cyano-6-hydroxy-2(1H)-pyridinones under Microwave Irradiation and Solvent-free Conditions

Summary. Three component condensation of alkylacetoacetates, primary amines, and alkyl cyanoacetates catalyzed by solid supports under microwave irradiation gave N-alkyl 3-cyano-6-hydroxy-2(1H)-pyridinones with high yields. Upon carrying out the reaction under the same condition on acidic alumina, zeolite HY, silica gel, and montmorillonite K-10, the best yields were achieved by silica gel. Corresponding author. E-mail: balalaie@yahoo.com Received August 28, 2002; accepted September 3, 2002     

Atomistic Insight Into the Host–Guest Interaction of a Photoresponsive Metal–Organic Framework

Photoresponsive functional materials have gained increasing attention due to their externally tunable properties. Molecular switches embedded in these materials enable the control of phenomena at the atomic level by light. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) provide a versatile platform to immobilize these photoresponsive units within defined molecular environments to optimize the intended functionality. For the application of these photoresponsive MOFs (pho-MOFs), it is crucial to understand the influence of the switching state on the host–guest interaction. Therefore, we present a detailed insight into the impact of molecular switching on the intermolecular interactions. By performing atomistic simulations, we revealed that due to different interactions of the guest molecules with the two isomeric states of an azobenzene-functionalized MOF, both the adsorption sites and the orientation of the molecules within the pores are modulated. By shedding light on the host–guest interaction, our study highlights the unique potential of pho-MOFs to tailor molecular interaction by light.     

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of some novel 2-(substituted fluorobenzoylimino)-3-(substituted fluorophenyl)-4-methyl-1,3-thiazolines

The synthesis of several 2-(substituted fluorobenzoylimino)-3-(substituted fluorophenyl)-4-methyl-1,3-thiazolines (2a-t) was carried out by base-catalyzed cyclization of corresponding 1-(fluorobenzoyl)-3-(fluorophenyl)thioureas (1a-t) with 2-bromoacetone in aqueous medium. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by spectral and elemental analysis. All synthesized compounds were evaluated for in vitro antibacterial activity using Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined for the most active compounds. In vitro antifungal activity was also determined against the five fungal species (Rhizopus oryzae, Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus terreus, A. niger and A. fumigatus).     

Characterization of partially transesterified poly(beta-hydroxyalkanoate)s by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) was used for the characterization of a partially transesterified poly(beta-hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA), a polymer produced by the bacterial strain Alcaligenes eutrophus with saponified vegetable oils as the sole carbon sources. The transesterification was carried out separately under acidic and basic conditions to obtain PHA oligomers weighing <10 kDa. The intact oligomers were detected in their cationized forms, [M + Na]+ and [M + K]+, by MALDI-TOFMS. A composition analysis, using the MALDI-TOF spectra, indicated that the oligomers obtained via acid catalysis contained a methyl 3-hydroxybutyrate end group, and those obtained by base catalysis had a methyl crotonate (olefinic) end group. In addition to hydroxybutyrate (HB), the oligomers were found to contain a small percentage of hydroxyvalerate, which was independently confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In comparison, analysis of a commercial PHA polymer, transesterified under identical conditions, showed only the presence of HB, i.e., a pure poly(HB) homopolymer.     

Characterization of Acid-Induced Partially Folded Conformation Resembling a Molten Globule State of Polygalacturonase from a Filamentous Fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tetracoccosporium</Emphasis> sp.

Acid-induced unfolding of a Tetracoccosporium sp. polygalacturonase enzyme (PG) was studied by a comprehensive series of biophysical and biochemical techniques. At pH 1.0, PG acquires partially folded state, which reveals characteristics of molten globule (MG) state, i.e., reduction of defined tertiary structure with minimal changes in the secondary structure. In this study PG unfolds exposing its hydrophobic surface to a greater extent than the native form at acidic pH with more tryptophan residues exposed to the solvent. Collectively, our data imply the presence of MG state of PG at low pH, suggesting the phenomenon of hydrophobic collapse model for folding and integration into cell membrane.     

Purification and Characterization of Pepsin-Solubilized Collagen from Skin of Sea Cucumber Holothuria parva

Pepsin-solubilized collagen (PSC) was extracted from the skin of sea cucumber Holothuria parva and was fractionally characterized. The PSC from H. parva skin consisted of three α₁ chains (α₁)₃, in contrast to calf skin collagen type I with two α₁ and one α₂ chains (α₁)₂α₂ with approximately 130 kDa each. The maximum transition (T_m) and denaturation temperature (T_d) of PSC were determined to be 46.94 and 32.5 °C, respectively. The amino acid composition analysis revealed that glycine, proline, alanine, and hydroxyproline were the abundant amino acids available in extracted PSC. The results showed that the isolated collagen from H. parva has some similar characteristics to previously reported collagens used in food and pharmaceutical industries.     

Nitrosylation of Nitric‐Oxide‐Sensing Regulatory Proteins Containing [4Fe‐4S] Clusters Gives Rise to Multiple Iron–Nitrosyl Complexes

The reaction of protein‐bound iron–sulfur (Fe‐S) clusters with nitric oxide (NO) plays key roles in NO‐mediated toxicity and signaling. Elucidation of the mechanism of the reaction of NO with DNA regulatory proteins that contain Fe‐S clusters has been hampered by a lack of information about the nature of the iron‐nitrosyl products formed. Herein, we report nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations that identify NO reaction products in WhiD and NsrR, regulatory proteins that use a [4Fe‐4S] cluster to sense NO. This work reveals that nitrosylation yields multiple products structurally related to Roussin's Red Ester (RRE, [Fe₂(NO)₄(Cys)₂]) and Roussin's Black Salt (RBS, [Fe₄(NO)₇S₃]. In the latter case, the absence of ³²S/³⁴S shifts in the Fe?S region of the NRVS spectra suggest that a new species, Roussin's Black Ester (RBE), may be formed, in which one or more of the sulfide ligands is replaced by Cys thiolates.     

Simultaneous Voltammetric Determination of Lead and Tin by Adsorptive Differential Pulse Stripping Method and Orthogonal Signal Correction‐Partial Least Squares in Water Samples

An adsorptive differential pulse stripping method for the simultaneous determination of lead and tin is proposed. The procedure involves an adsorptive accumulation of lead and tin on a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE), followed by oxidation of adsorbed lead and tin by voltammetric scan using differential pulse modulation. The optimum experimental conditions are: 0.2 mol L^?1 HNO₃, accumulation potential of ?900 mV versus Ag/AgCl, accumulation time of 200 s, scan rate of 20 mV s^?1 and pulse height of 80 mV. Lead and tin peak currents were observed in the same potential region at about ?400 mV. The simultaneous determination of lead and tin by using voltammetry is a difficult problem in analytical chemistry, due to voltammogram interferences. The resolution of a mixture of lead and tin by the application of orthogonal signal correction‐partial least squares (OSC‐PLS) was performed. The linear dynamic ranges were 0.003‐0.35 and 0.008‐0.50 μg mL^?1 and detection limits were land 3 ng mL^?1 for lead and tin, respectively. The RMSEP for lead and tin with OSC and without OSC were 2.8737, 6.0557 and 8.0941, 9.5151, respectively. The capability of the method for the analysis of real samples was evaluated by the determination of lead and tin in water samples with satisfactory results.     

Amplified Electrochemical DNA Sensor Based on Polyaniline Film and Gold Nanoparticles

In this work, an electrochemical DNA biosensor, based on a dual signal amplified strategy by employing a polyaniline film and gold nanoparticles as a sensor platform and enzyme‐linked as a label, for sensitive detection is presented. Firstly, polyaniline film and gold nanoparticles were progressively grown on graphite screen‐printed electrode surface via electropolymerization and electrochemical deposition, respectively. The sensor was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry and impedance measurements. The polyaniline‐gold nanocomposite modified electrodes were firstly modified with a mixed monolayer of a 17‐mer thiol‐tethered DNA probe and a spacer thiol, 6‐mercapto‐1‐hexanol (MCH). An enzyme‐amplified detection scheme, based on the coupling of a streptavidin‐alkaline phosphatase conjugate and biotinylated target sequences was then applied. The enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of the electroinactive α‐naphthyl phosphate to α‐naphthol; this product is electroactive and has been detected by means of differential pulse voltammetry. In this way, the sensor coupled the unique electrical properties of polyaniline and gold nanoparticles (high surface area, fast heterogeneous electron transfer, chemical stability, and ease of miniaturisation) and enzymatic amplification. A linear response was obtained over a concentration range (0.2–10 nM). A detection limit of 0.1 nM was achieved.