On the nature of the transition state in catechol O-methyltransferase. A complementary study based on molecular dynamics and potential energy surface explorations

The way in which enzymes influence the rate of chemical processes is still a question of debate. The protein promotes the catalysis of biochemical processes by lowering the free energy barrier in comparison with the reference uncatalyzed reaction in solution. In this article we are reporting static and dynamic aspects of the enzyme catalysis in a bimolecular reaction, namely a methyl transfer from S-adenosylmethionine to the hydroxylate oxygen of a substituted catechol catalyzed by catechol O-methyltransferase. From QM/MM optimizations, we will first analyze the participation of the environment on the transition vector. The study of molecular dynamics trajectories will allow us to estimate the transmission coefficient from a previously localized transition state as the maximum in the potential of mean force profile. The analysis of the reactive and nonreactive trajectories in the enzyme environment and in solution will also allow studying the geometrical and electronic changes, with special attention to the chemical system movements and the coupling with the environment. The main result, coming from both analyses, is the approximation of the magnesium cation to the nucleophilic and the hydroxyl group of the catecholate as a result of a general movement of the protein, stabilizing in this way the transition state. Consequently, the free energy barrier of the enzyme reaction is dramatically decreased with respect to the reaction in solution.     

酰胺型萃取剂N-503的合成

酰胺型萃取剂N-503[N,N-二-(1-甲基庚基)乙酰胺]可以用甲庚醇或2-氯代辛烷为原料来合成。它的重要中间体二-(1-甲基庚基)胺的制备方法有二:一是从甲庚醇制备的方法,将甲庚醇用阮来镍催化,常压氨解,得率95～99％左右;二是从2-氯代辛烷制备,此法需要高压设备,得率35％左右。第一个方法在扩大试验中,产率和产品质量都比较好,是一个较好的制备长碳链仲胺的方法。     

Visual recognition of melamine in milk via selective metallo-hydrogel formation

A novel protocol allowing convenient and highly selective visual recognition of melamine in raw milk via selective metallo-hydrogel formation at a concentration as low as 10 ppm without any tedious pretreatment has been developed.     

Determination of sulfur dioxide in vitriol plant wastewater by using a polyNiMe4TAA electrochemically modified Pt microelectrode

A Pt microelectrode modified with nickel(II) polytetramethyldibenzo[b,i]tetraaza[14]annulene was prepared by electropolymerization of nickel(II) tetramethyldibenzo[b,i]tetraaza[14]annulene monomers and applied to determine sulfur dioxide in vitriol plant wastewater. For determination of SO2 with this electrochemically modified Pt microelectrode, the linear range was from 9.6 x 10(-6) to 2.4 x 10(-4) mol L-1, the sensitivity was 1.8 x 10(-4) A L mol-1, the detection limit was calculated to be 4.8 x 10(-6) mol L-1 (S/N = 3), the response time was less than 20 s and the relative standard deviation was found to be 2.1% on analyzing 4.8 x 10(-5) mol L-1 SO2 solution repeatedly (n = 7). These results demonstrated good accuracy compared with those obtained by the conventional iodimetric method.     

红四氮唑作为电化学嵌合剂的核酸杂交生物传感器

提出了一种以红四氮唑 (TTC)作为嵌合剂 ,采用石墨修饰电极监测核酸杂交过程和测定特定 DNA片段的灵敏的电化学方法 . TTC具有背景电流低 ,电活性强和对双链 DNA(ds DNA)选择性好等一系列优点 ,可在石墨电极表面形成 ds DNA-TTC层 .在电化学测定中 ,TTC的还原电流与靶 DNA浓度具有良好的线性关系 ,对 DNA的检测限可低达 6× 1 0 - 1 1 mol/L .     

Zn-Fe-SiO2复合镀层的制备工艺及其耐蚀性研究

在酸性硫酸盐体系中电沉积制备了Zn-Fe-SiO2复合镀层,并研究了工艺因素对镀层SiO2含量的影响.随着电流密度由4.8A/dm2增加到6A/dm2时,镀层中SiO2的含量由0.21%上升到0.47%,但是当电流密度继续增加到7.2A/dm2时,SiO2含量反而下降到了0.18%.当镀液中SiO2浓度由20g/L增加到60g/L时,镀层中SiO2含量由0.40%上升到0.51%.当镀液pH值由2增加到4时,镀层中SiO2含量由0.22%上升到1.17%.采用5%NaCl溶液浸泡试验考察了Zn镀层、Zn-Fe合金镀层与Zn-Fe-SiO2复合镀层的耐蚀性,并研究了镀层中SiO2含量对镀层耐蚀性的影响.结果表明,Zn-Fe-SiO2复合镀层无需钝化处理,其耐蚀性优于Zn镀层及Zn-Fe合金镀层,并且镀层的耐蚀性随着镀层中SiO2含量增大而提高.     

Preorganization and reorganization as related factors in enzyme catalysis: the chorismate mutase case

In this paper a deeper insight into the chorismate-to prephenate-rearrangement, catalyzed by Bacillus subtilis chorismate mutase, is provided by means of a combination of statistical quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics simulation methods and hybrid potential energy surface exploration techniques. The main aim of this work is to present an estimation of the preorganization and reorganization terms of the enzyme catalytic rate enhancement. To analyze the first of these, we have studied different conformational equilibria of chorismate in aqueous solution and in the enzyme active site. Our conclusion is that chorismate mutase preferentially binds the reactive conformer of the substrate--that presenting a structure similar to the transition state of the reaction to be catalyzed--with shorter distances between the carbon atoms to be bonded and more diaxial character. With respect to the reorganization effect, an energy decomposition analysis of the potential energies of the reactive reactant and of the reaction transition state in aqueous solution and in the enzyme shows that the enzyme structure is better adapted to the transition structure. This means not only a more negative electrostatic interaction energy with the transition state but also a low enzyme deformation contribution to the energy barrier. Our calculations reveal that the structure of the enzyme is responsible for stabilizing the transition state structure of the reaction, with concomitant selection of the reactive form of the reactants. This is, the same enzymatic pattern that stabilizes the transition structure also promotes those reactant structures closer to the transition structure (i.e., the reactive reactants). In fact, both reorganization and preorganization effects have to be considered as the two faces of the same coin, having a common origin in the effect of the enzyme structure on the energy surface of the substrate.