Facile chemoselective synthesis of dehydroalanine-containing peptides

Useful methodology is described for the synthesis of dehydroalanine residues (II) within peptides. The unnatural amino acid (Se)-phenylselenocysteine (I) can be incorporated into growing peptide chains via standard peptide synthesis procedures. Subsequent oxidative elimination affords a dehydroalanine at the desired position. The oxidation conditions are mild and tolerate functionalities commonly found in peptides, including variously protected cysteine residues. To illustrate its utility, cyclic lanthionines have been synthesized by this method.     

A ten-residue fragment of an antibody (mini-antibody) directed against lysozyme as ligand in immunoaffinity chromatography

The interaction between an antibody molecule and a protein antigen is an example of "natural" protein modelling. Amino acids of the antigen-binding site consisting of three hypervariable segments (L1, L2, L3) of the light (L) and three (H1, H2, H3) of the heavy (H) chain of an antibody molecule interact with amino acids present in an epitope of a protein. A ten-residue peptide was synthesized with an amino acid sequence analogous to the hypervariable L3 segment of a monoclonal antibody directed against lysozyme. The peptide was immobilized on CH-Sepharose 4B and the affinity adsorbent was used to purify lysozyme added to a detergent extract of insect cells infected with a recombinant baculovirus. This methodology may also be applicable to other antigen-antibody combinations, in immunoaffinity chromatography for selective purification of a protein or in an immunosensor for detection of a protein.     

Time-dependent pump-probe spectra of NeBr2

Time- and frequency-resolved pump-probe measurements on NeBr2 have been performed to better characterize its fragmentation dynamics on the B electronic state for vibrational levels in the energy region of the transition from direct vibrational predissociation to intramolecular vibrational relaxation dynamics. Above nu'=20 of the Br2 stretching mode, it was observed that the dependence of lifetime on the vibrational quantum number deviates from the energy-gap law by leveling off in the range of 10 psE transitions of the complex. These transitions are shifted 20 cm(-1) to lower energy from the free Br2 resonances, indicating an E state Ne-Br2 bond energy of 82 cm(-1). Measurements of NeBr2 vibrational predissociation via the delta nu=-2 channel were also performed for nu'=27, 28, and 29. The closing of the delta nu=-1 channel leads to an increase in the lifetimes of these vibrational levels. A new Nd:yttrium aluminum garnet pumped dual optical parametric oscillator/optical parametric amplifier system is described that allows us to conveniently record time-delayed pump-probe spectra with 2-cm(-1) spectral resolution and 15-ps time resolution.     

STRUCTURE AND PHOTOBIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF 7-CHLORO-1,4-BENZODIAZEPINES. STUDIES ON THE PHOTOTOXIC EFFECTS OF CHLORDIAZEPOXIDE, DESMETHYLCHLORDIAZEPOXIDE AND DEMOXEPAM USING A BACTERIAL INDICATOR SYSTEM

The photobiological activity of chlordiazepoxide, an active ingredient of the drug Librium, which is known to induce phototoxic effects, and two of its metabolites, desmethylchlordiazepoxide and demoxepam, was investigated. Upon irradiation of these biologically active compounds with longwave UV light, the main decomposition product formed is an oxaziridine. Using a strain of Salmonella typhimurium as a test organism for cytotoxicity, it could be demonstrated that not only the drug itself, but also the major mammalian metabolites are phototoxic and, furthermore, that the respective oxaziridines are responsible for the toxic effects found upon irradiation. A close relationship appears to exist between the phototoxicity of the nitrones and the toxicity in the dark of their respective oxaziridines. Investigations of the photobiological activity of a few closely structurally related benzodiazepines could establish that a 4-oxide moiety in the benzodiazepine nucleus is the structural characteristic responsible for the appearance of phototoxicity; in those compounds which contain a 4-oxide in the benzodiazepine nucleus, photo-decomposition to a toxic oxaziridine is observed, while the analogues lacking the 4-oxide moiety do not show this characteristic and, therefore, no phototoxic effects can be observed. Finally, mutagenicity tests performed with the same bacterial indicator as used for phototoxic studies, and including chlorpromazine as a positive reference compound, indicate that under the present experimental conditions photoproducts formed upon irradiation of chlordiazepoxide and its metabolites with longwave UV light do not exert a mutagenic effect.     

Unique structural properties of the Mg-Al hydrotalcite solid base catalyst: an in situ study using Mg and Al K-edge XAFS during calcination and rehydration

The changes in the layered structure of Mg-Al hydrotalcite (Mg/ Al = 2) during heat treatment have been investigated by using in situ XAFS simultaneously at the Mg and Al K-edges. The development of unique in situ instrumentation allowed the coordination environments at both the Mg and Al centers to be monitored as a function of the temperature and heat treatment. The results of this study show that the hydrotalcite structure is highly flexible, and should lead to the further development of hydrotalcites as new solid basic catalysts. Moreover, the Mg and Al cations in the cation layers show different behavior as a function of temperature. The coordination of some octahedral Al ions decreases already at a temperature of 425 K, whereas the coordination about Mg does not show any modification at this temperature. However, hydrotalcite treated at 425 K, followed by cooling down to room temperature resulted in a complete reversal to the original octahedral Al coordination. It is proposed that Al-OH bond breakage occurs at 425 K, without the evolution of H2O. This bond is restored after cooling to room temperature. The actual dehydroxylation of hydrotalcite commences between 425 and 475 K, as indicated by a change in coordination of both the Mg and Al centers. This is accompanied by the evolution of H2O molecules and the changes are hence irreversible without the presence of excess water. Heat treatment at 725 K leads to the development of an MgO-like phase (octahedral Mg) and a mixed octahedral/tetrahedral Al phase. A subsequent rehydration at room temperature entirely restores the original coordination about the Al and Mg centers of hydrotalcite to a distance of 15 A, to which XAFS spectroscopy is sensitive.     

Manometric precision determination of carbon and hydrogen in milligram amounts of organic material

A method is described for the precise determination of carbon and hydrogen in milligram, amounts of sample. The method is based on the manometric measurement of the amounts of carbon dioxide and water formed on combustion. A precision mercury manometer is used in which pressures are converted to mercury volumes. The latter are measured with the aid of a commercial piston-type buret using a photo-electric level indication.     

Studies on Ziegler-Natta catalysts. Part II. Reactions between α- or β-TiCl3 and AlMe3, AlMe2Cl,or AlEt3 at various temperatures

The following reactions, carried out in the absence of solvents, has been studied: α-TiCl₃ + Al(CH₃)₃ at 20°C., β-TiCl₃ + Al(CH₃)₃ at 65°C., α-TiCl₃ + Al(CH₃)₂Cl at 20 and 65°C., and α-TiCl₃ + Al(C₂H₅)₃ between 30 and 65°C. It appears that a general reaction mechanism, such as discussed in the preceding paper of this series, applies to all these reactions between TiCl₃ and aluminum alkyls. The differences in overall stoichiometry between some of these systems may be linked to differences in stability of the intermediate Ti? C bonds. In the case of α-TiCl₃ + Al(CH₃)₂Cl, alkylation is probably accompanied by fixation of the AlCH₃Cl₂ on the nonvolatile product.     

Comparison of figures of merit for fluorimetric analysis of rhodamine complexes of gallium and indium by excitation with pulsed laser and by xenon arc sources

Optimum conditions have been established for formation and extraction of indium-Rhodamine complexes, and limits of detection found for fluorimetric determination of gallium and indium by means of Rhodamine dyes, using the excitation with pulsed laser and xenon arc sources.     

A complexometric titration of inorganic sulphate in synthetic detergents

An accurate method for the determination of inorganic sulphate in synthetic detergents has been developed. After addition of a cationic surface-active agent (cetyl pyridinium chloride) to an anionic detergent, sulphate can be determined by means of indirect titration with EDTA, using a mixture of Metalphthalein and Naphthol Green B as indicator.