Neutron activation analysis of mercury contents in head hair of dentists in Japan

Mercury contents in head hair of 58 dentists employed at the NUSD hospital and 50 dentists employed at the private hospitals or clinics were determined using neutron activation analysis. The arithmetic means were 5.8 ppm and 5.2 ppm, and geometric means were 5.4 ppm and 4.8 ppm, respectively. They were much lower than the values reported in the past year, and agreed well with those of normal Japanese men of the same age. Therefore, it was concluded that the mercury pollution in the working environment of dentists might be practically non-existent in Japan today.     

Engineered biosynthesis of plant polyketides: chain length control in an octaketide-producing plant type III polyketide synthase

The chalcone synthase (CHS) superfamily of type III polyketide synthases (PKSs) produces a variety of plant secondary metabolites with remarkable structural diversity and biological activities (e.g., chalcones, stilbenes, benzophenones, acrydones, phloroglucinols, resorcinols, pyrones, and chromones). Here we describe an octaketide-producing novel plant-specific type III PKS from aloe (Aloe arborescens) sharing 50-60% amino acid sequence identity with other plant CHS-superfamily enzymes. A recombinant enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli catalyzed seven successive decarboxylative condensations of malonyl-CoA to yield aromatic octaketides SEK4 and SEK4b, the longest polyketides known to be synthesized by the structurally simple type III PKS. Surprisingly, site-directed mutagenesis revealed that a single residue Gly207 (corresponding to the CHS's active site Thr197) determines the polyketide chain length and product specificity. Small-to-large substitutions (G207A, G207T, G207M, G207L, G207F, and G207W) resulted in loss of the octaketide-forming activity and concomitant formation of shorter chain length polyketides (from triketide to heptaketide) including a pentaketide chromone, 2,7-dihydroxy-5-methylchromone, and a hexaketide pyrone, 6-(2,4-dihydroxy-6-methylphenyl)-4-hydroxy-2-pyrone, depending on the size of the side chain. Notably, the functional diversity of the type III PKS was shown to evolve from simple steric modulation of the chemically inert single residue lining the active-site cavity accompanied by conservation of the Cys-His-Asn catalytic triad. This provided novel strategies for the engineered biosynthesis of pharmaceutically important plant polyketides.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (Z)-2-fluoro-1-alkenyl(phenyl)iodonium tetrafluoroborates

[reaction: see text] (Z)-2-Fluoro-1-alkenyl(phenyl)iodonium salts were stereoselectively prepared by the reaction of alkynyl(phenyl)iodonium salts with aqueous HF in good yields. The method is applicable to the synthesis of fluoroalkenyliodonium salts having functional groups such as ketone, ester, and chloride. (Z)-2-Fluoro-1-alkene, (Z)-2-fluoro-2-alkenoate, and (Z)-beta-fluoroenyne could be stereoselectively prepared from the fluoroalkenyliodonium salt.     

Monolithic silica columns with various skeleton sizes and through-pore sizes for capillary liquid chromatography

Reduction of through-pore size and skeleton size of a monolithic silica column was attempted to provide high separation efficiency in a short time. Monolithic silica columns were prepared to have various sizes of skeletons (approximately 1-2 microm) and through-pores (approximately 2-8 microm) in a fused-silica capillary (50-200 microm I.D.). The columns were evaluated in HPLC after derivatization to C18 phase. It was possible to prepare monolithic silica structures in capillaries of up to 200 microm I.D. from a mixture of tetramethoxysilane and methyltrimethoxysilane. As expected, a monolithic silica column with smaller domain size showed higher column efficiency and higher pressure drop. High external porosity (> 80%) and large through-pores resulted in high permeability (K = 8 x 10(-14) -1.3 x 10(-12) m2) that was 2-30 times higher than that of a column packed with 5-mirom silica particles. The monolithic silica columns prepared in capillaries produced a plate height of about 8-12 microm with an 80% aqueous acetonitrile mobile phase at a linear velocity of 1 mm/s. Separation impedance, E, was found to be as low as 100 under optimum conditions, a value about an order of magnitude lower than reported for conventional columns packed with 5-microm particles. Although a column with smaller domain size generally resulted in higher separation impedance and the lower total performance, the monolithic silica columns showed performance beyond the limit of conventional particle-packed columns under pressure-driven conditions.     

Synthesis of 1-alkylselenocyclobutene via intermediate allenyl selenoketene

Reactions of 2-alkynyl arylethynyl selenide 1 with alkyl iodides 3 in the presence of lithium aluminium hydride via allenyl selenoketene 2 afforded cyclobutene 4. Allenyl group of the intermediate allenyl selenoketene 2 was monitored by React IR.     

Profiling and comprehensive expression analysis of ABC transporter solute-binding proteins of Bacillus subtilis membrane based on a proteomic approach

We analyzed ABC transporter solute-binding proteins (SBPs) of the Bacillus subtilis membrane using a proteomic approach. We prepared a washed cell membrane fraction that was insoluble in 134 mM nondetergent sulfobetaine and then extracted proteins using mixtures of detergents in a stepwise manner. The membrane proteins were resolved by three two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE) or two one-dimensional (1-D) PAGE procedures, electroblotted, and digested in the presence of 5% or 80% acetonitrile. Thereafter, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) identified 637 proteins corresponding to 15.9% of the total cellular proteins. We predicted that among these, 256 were membrane proteins, 101 were lipoproteins or secretory proteins and 280 were soluble proteins containing peripheral proteins that function in both the cytoplasm and the cell membrane such as SecA and FtsY. Among the 637 proteins, we identified 30 SBPs among 38 importers predicted by a bioinformatic search of the genome. We confirmed expression of the genes for the 30 SBPs using DNA microarray analysis. We compared the 2-D gel separation profiles of submembrane fractions solubilized by 1% n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside from cells cultured on Luria Bertani (LB), S7, and S7 medium without glutamate as well as DNA microarray data on LB and S7. The results suggested that YcdH, YtmK and YurO are binding proteins for Mn(++), glutamate and glucose, respectively, and that YqiX and YxeM are binding proteins for amino acids (tryptophan in S7 medium).     

Double-chelation-assisted Rh-catalyzed intermolecular hydroacylation between salicylaldehydes and 1,4-penta- or 1,5-hexadienes

Intermolecular hydroacylation between salicylaldehydes 1, 26-40 and 1,4-penta- or 1,5-hexadienes 4-13 by Rh-catalyst proceeded under mild reaction conditions to give a mixture of iso- and normal-hydroacylated products 14-25, 41-55, and 57-60. In the hydroacylation reaction, chelation of both salicylaldehyde and diene to the Rh-complex plays a crucial role. The ratio of iso- and normal-hydroacylated products could be regulated by the addition of salicylic acid or amines. The effects of various Rh-complexes, solvents, and additives were examined, and the plausible mechanisms of the catalytic cycle were proposed on the basis of the deuterium-labeling salicylaldehyde experiments.     

Higher triplet excited states of benzophenones and bimolecular triplet energy transfer measured by using nanosecond-picosecond two-color/two-laser flash photolysis

The lifetimes of benzophenone in the higher triplet excited state (BP(T(n))) and several BP derivatives in the T(n) states were measured directly to be tau(T(n))=37+/-7 ps and 20-33 ps, respectively, by using the nanosecond-picosecond (ns-ps) two-color/two-laser flash photolysis method. Based on the direct measurements of tau(T(n)) of BP(T(n)), the triplet energy transfer (TET) from BP(T(n)) to quenchers (Q), such as carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), benzene (Bz), and p-dichlorbenzene (DCB), was investigated. The fast TET from BP(T(n)) to Q can be attributed to the lifetime-dependent quenching process, according to the Ware theoretical model of the bimolecular energy transfer reaction. The contribution of the lifetime-dependent term on k(TET) was 27, 60, and 86% for CCl4, Bz, and DCB as the Q of BP(T(n)), respectively, indicating that the TET from BP(T(n)) to Q is influenced not only by tau(T(n)), but also by the size of Q.     

Thermally stable rigid π-allylnickel compounds, (π-CHRCR′CR2)Ni(PPhMe2)C6Cl5

The reaction of C₆Cl₅Ni(PPhMe₂)₂Cl with CHRCR′CH₂MgX (X = Br or Cl) yields π-allylnickel compounds, (π-CHRCR′CH₂)Ni(PPhMe₂)C₆Cl₅ (Ia, R = R′ = H; Ib, R = H, R′ = CH₃; Ic, R = CH₃, R′ = H), which are stable in the solid state below ca. 150°C and are fairly stable in solution in the absence of oxygen. The π-allyl group was found by PMR spectroscopy to be rigid even in the presence of an excess of PPhMe₂, P(OEt)₃ or P(OMe)₃.     

On the electronic character of localized singlet 2,2-dimethoxycyclopentane-1,3-diyl diradicals: substituent effects on the lifetime

Photodenitrogenation of the diazenes 4 affords exclusively the housanes 5 through intramolecular cyclization of the spectrally detected and characterized singlet diradicals 3. The lifetime of singlet diradical 3, determined by transient absorption measurements, depends on the Y and Z substituents at the para position of the phenyl ring and has the following order: Y, Z = OMe, OMe > OMe, CN > CN, CN > OMe, H > Cl, Cl approximately CN, H approximately Me, Me > H, H. This unprecedented substituent effect reveals stabilization of the singlet 2,2-dimethoxycyclopentane-1,3-diyl diradicals 3 through radical, zwitterionic, pi-bonding, and hyperconjugative structures.