A new aspect of Heck catalyst formation

Abstract  

The mechanism of the formation of the active Pd(0) complex from trans-dichlorobis(diethanolamine-N)palladium(II) complex in the presence of strong base was investigated by using density functional theory (M06 method). Our investigation shows that in the basic environment trans-dichlorobis(diethanolamine-N)palladium(II) complex undergoes abstraction of the alcoholic proton, and coordination of alkoxide oxygen to palladium. The intermediate complex, in which hydrogen is coordinated to Pd, undergoes reductive elimination of HCl, yielding the catalytically active low ligated Pd(0) complex.     

Fucoidans from Brown Seaweeds <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sargassum hornery</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eclonia cava</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Costaria costata</Emphasis>: Structural Characteristics and Anticancer Activity

Fucoidans were isolated by water extraction and ion-exchange chromatography from brown algae Eclonia cava, Sargassum hornery, and Costaria costata collected near of Korean coasts. The structures of fucoidans were investigated. Fucoidan from E. cava was mixture of sulfated rhamnogalactofucan and galactofucan. Fucoidan from C. costata was a sulfated galactofucan. Fucoidan isolated from S. hornery was separated into three fractions: a homofucan sulfate, a homofucan but without sulfate groups, and a sulfated rhamnofucan. The results clearly showed that fucoidans play an inhibitory role in colony formation in human melanoma and colon cancer cells and may be effective antitumor agents.     

Efficient refolding of a hydrophobic protein with multiple S-S bonds by on-resin immobilized metal affinity chromatography

The efficient refolding of recombinant proteins produced in the form of inclusion bodies (IBs) in Escherichia coli still is a complicated experimental problem especially for large hydrophobic highly disulfide-bonded proteins. The aim of this work was to develop highly efficient and simple refolding procedure for such a protein. The recombinant C-terminal fragment of human alpha-fetoprotein (rAFP-Cterm), which has molecular weight of 26 kDa and possesses 6 S-S bonds, was expressed in the form of IBs in E. coli. The C-terminal 7× His tag was introduced to facilitate protein purification and refolding. The refolding procedure of the immobilized protein by immobilized metal chelating chromatography (IMAC) was developed. Such hydrophobic highly disulfide-bonded proteins tend to irreversibly bind to traditionally used agarose-based matrices upon attempted refolding of the immobilized protein. Indeed, the yield of rAFP-Cterm upon its refolding by IMAC on agarose-based matrix was negligible with bulk of the protein irreversibly stacked to the resin. The key has occurred to be using IMAC based on silica matrix. This increased on-resin refolding yield of the target protein from almost 0 to 60% with purity 98%. Compared to dilution refolding of the same protein, the productivity of the developed procedure was two orders higher. There was no need for further purification or concentration of the renatured protein. The usage of silica-based matrix for the refolding of immobilized proteins by IMAC can improve and facilitate the experimental work for difficult-to-refold proteins.     

Activity-based chemical proteomics accelerates inhibitor development for deubiquitylating enzymes

Converting lead compounds into drug candidates is a crucial step in drug development, requiring early assessment of potency, selectivity, and off-target effects. We have utilized activity-based chemical proteomics to determine the potency and selectivity of deubiquitylating enzyme (DUB) inhibitors in cell culture models. Importantly, we characterized the small molecule PR-619 as a broad-range DUB inhibitor, and P22077 as a USP7 inhibitor with potential for further development as a chemotherapeutic agent in cancer therapy. A striking accumulation of polyubiquitylated proteins was observed after both selective and general inhibition of cellular DUB activity without direct impairment of proteasomal proteolysis. The repertoire of ubiquitylated substrates was analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry, identifying distinct subsets for general or specific inhibition of DUBs. This enabled identification of previously unknown functional links between USP7 and enzymes involved in DNA repair.     

Thermodynamic and kinetic studies on the interaction of Ru(III)(edta) with NO in an ionic liquid

The aim of this study was to determine rate constants for the release of NO from an iron(II) nitrosyl complex dissolved in a typical imidazolium-based ionic liquid, [emim][dca], using an NO trapping technique combined with stopped-flow measurements. The anionic component of the selected ionic liquid, viz. [dca] (dicyanamide), was found to coordinate to the Ru(III)(edta) complex used as trapping agent, and hindered its successful application. Further investigations in aqueous solution revealed thermodynamic and kinetic data for the formation of the [Ru(III)(edta)(dca)](2-) complex and its reaction with NO to form the corresponding nitrosyl complex. The results obtained under conditions similar to those in the ionic liquid indicated a much slower formation of the nitrosyl complex in [emim][dca] compared to that reported for the formation of this complex in aqueous medium.     

Antioxidant capacity and total phenolic contents of oregano (Origanum vulgare), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) from Romania

The study reported here presents a comparative screening of three medicinal plants including oregano (Origanum vulgare L.), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) having the same geographical origin, the Southeast region of Romania, and growing in the same natural conditions. The contents of total phenolics and total flavonoids for the extracts of these were determined. Furthermore, the total antioxidant capacity was also evaluated. It was found that Origanum vulgare and Melissa officinalis extracts present the most effective antioxidant capacity in scavenging DPPH radicals, while Lavandula angustifolia is less active. High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was used to identify the components of extracts. Major phenolic acids identified in the analysed species were ferulic, rosmarinic, p-coumaric and caffeic, while predominant flavonoids were quercetin, apigenin kaempherol, which were present as glucosides.     

Toward the development of the direct and selective detection of nitrates by a bioinspired Mo-Cu system

The development of a new platform for the direct and selective detection of nitrates is described. Two thioether-based chemosensors and the corresponding sulfoxides and sulfones were prepared, and their photophysical properties were evaluated. Upon selective sulfoxidation of these thioethers with nitrates via an oxygen-transfer reaction promoted by a bioinspired Mo-Cu system, significant fluorescence shifts were measured. A selective response of these systems, discriminating between nitrate salts and H(2)O(2), was also shown.     

About mechanism of foam stabilization by solid particles

The main objective of the research was to study the properties of the foam and foam films stabilized by solid particles. The properties of the foam films were compared with the analogous ones of the emulsion films. The experiment provided the rheological characteristics of the dispersion medium. The research provided the study of the correlation of the contact angle, the shear stress, the surface tension and the radii of aggregates by the solid particles and the modifier concentration. The effect of the foam film stabilization by the solid particles is significant.     

Hydrogen-bonded layer-by-layer films of block copolymer micelles with pH-responsive cores

The structure of grafted adsorbing polymers on surfaces is described as a statistical ensemble of loops generated by an one-dimensional random walk perpendicular to the surface. The configuration of each chain is considered as a succession of closed loops ended by an open loop (a tail). The probability of formation of each individual loop is the product between the probability of first return to the surface and a Boltzmann factor containing the free energy of the Flory-Huggins kind, which is approximated by the minimum free energy of all possible configurations of that loop. At high grafting densities, the attractive interactions between monomers and surface control the fraction of polymer belonging to either closed loops or tails, hence the formation of a stretched grafted brush. At low grafting densities, the increase of that interaction above a critical value generates an abrupt collapse of the brush on the surface. Whereas for long polymers (with more than about 100 Kuhn segments), the structure of the brush can be determined, in general, only via Monte-Carlo sampling, it is argued that the two structural transitions indicated above can be well predicted by simple approximations.     

Kinetic Magnetic‐Field Effect Involving the Small Biologically Relevant Inorganic Radicals NO and O2.−

Oxidation of dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR) to rhodamine 123 (RH) by oxoperoxonitrite (ONOO^?), formed through recombination of NO and O₂^.? radicals resulting from thermal decomposition of 3‐morpholinosydnonimine (SIN‐1) in buffered aerated aqueous solution at pH 7.6, represents a kinetic model system of the reactivity of NO and O₂^.? in biochemical systems. A magnetic‐field effect (MFE) on the yield of RH detected in this system is explored in the full range of fields between 0 and 18 T. It is found to increase in a nearly linear fashion up to a value of 5.5±1.6 % at 18 T and 23 °C (3.1±0.7 % at 40 °C). A theoretical framework to analyze the MFE in terms of the magnetic‐field‐enhanced recombination rate constant k_rec of NO and O₂^.? due to magnetic mixing of T₀ and S spin states of the radical pair by the Δg mechanism is developed, including estimation of magnetic properties (g tensor and spin relaxation times) of NO and O₂^.? in aqueous solution, and calculation of the MFE on k_rec using the theoretical formalism of Gorelik at al. The factor with which the MFE on k_rec is translated to the MFE on the yield of ONOO^? and RH is derived for various kinetic scenarios representing possible sink channels for NO and O₂^.?. With reasonable assumptions for the values of some unknown kinetic parameters, the theoretical predictions account well for the observed MFE.