Simulations of remote mutants of dihydrofolate reductase reveal the nature of a network of residues coupled to hydride transfer

Recent experimental and theoretical studies have proposed that enzymes involve networks of coupled residues throughout the protein that participate in motions accompanying chemical barrier crossing. Here, we have examined portions of a proposed network in dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) using quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics simulations. The simulations use a hybrid quantum mechanics‐molecular mechanics approach with a recently developed semiempirical AM1‐SRP Hamiltonian that provides accurate results for this reaction. The simulations reproduce experimentally determined catalytic rates for the wild type and distant mutants of E. coli DHFR, underscoring the accuracy of the simulation protocol. Additionally, the simulations provide detailed insight into how residues remote from the active site affect the catalyzed chemistry, through changes in the thermally averaged properties along the reaction coordinate. The mutations do not greatly affect the structure of the transition state near the bond activation, but we observe differences somewhat removed from the point of C? H cleavage that affect the rate. The mutations have global effects on the thermally averaged structure that propagate throughout the enzyme and the current simulations highlight several interactions that appear to be particularly important. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Effect of HAP on Stability and Plugging Property of LPFR Dispersion

To improve the stability and plugging property of low-solubility phenol formaldehyde resin (LPFR) in the injection water from Daqing Oilfield, hydrophobically associating polymers (HAP) as a stabilizing agent were used. The size and zeta potential of LPFR, LPFR/HAP molecule aggregates, and turbidity and plugging properties of LPFR dispersions were measured in deionized water, simulation water, and injection water, respectively. The results show that the hydrophobic grouping on the HAP molecule has a similar molecular structure as LPFR, and HAP and LPFR can form complex molecule aggregates in the injection water. The zeta potential of LPFR/HAP molecule aggregates is larger than that of LPFR molecule aggregates. Therefore, the repulsive force operating between LPFR/HAP complex molecule aggregates is increased. HAP enhances the stability of LPFR in the injection water and plugging property of LPFR dispersion in porous medium.     

马蹄金素杂环衍生物的合成及抗乙肝病毒活性

以马蹄金素[N-(N-苯甲酰基-L-苯丙氨酰基)-O-乙酰基-L-苯丙氨醇,MTS]为先导化合物,设计并合成了16个杂环取代的马蹄金素衍生物,其结构经NMR,ESI-MS和元素分析确证.以HepG2 2.2.15细胞为乙肝病毒(HBV)载体,对合成的马蹄金素衍生物进行了抗HBV活性测试.实验结果表明,在测试浓度范围内,化合物5b(IC50=8.20μg/L,SI=10.26),5g(IC50=5.58μg/L,SI=22.78)和5i(IC50=5.07μg/L,SI=16.67)的抗HBV活性较强;在8μg/mL的浓度下,其抑制率分别为56.57%,67.06%和66.83%.     

Ni-Mo/Al_2O_3催化剂上硫转移反应的研究

制备了以γ-Al2O3为载体的Ni-Mo催化剂,并用于FCC汽油的加氢硫转移反应。对Ni-Mo/Al2O3催化剂上的硫转移反应机理进行了研究,考察了不同反应条件对硫转移反应的影响。实验结果表明,硫醇与烯烃的反应在催化剂表面的加氢活性位上进行,小分子的硫醇发生加氢脱硫,生成吸附态H2S,吸附态的H2S与烯烃反应,生成大分子硫醇和硫醚;另外小分子硫醇还可直接与烯烃发生反应,生成硫醚。提高反应温度、压力、氢油比或降低空速,均可提高催化剂的硫转移反应活性,轻质硫转化率得到明显提高,且单烯选择性还能维持在98%左右。     

新型吡唑联吡咯类杂环化合物的合成及杀菌活性

为寻找具有更高生物活性、更环保的新农药杀菌剂,基于杀菌剂氟咯菌腈设计并合成了10个新型吡唑联吡咯类杂环化合物,以吡唑环代替氟咯菌腈上原有的苯环,以期提高其杀菌活性.采用1H NMR,FTIR,单晶X射线衍射、元素分析和熔点测定等测试手段对目标化合物及其中间体的结构进行了表征与确认,并通过挥发法培养得到了6个目标化合物的单晶.还对其中6个化合物进行了生物活性测试,测试结果表明各化合物对水稻纹枯病、黄瓜灰霉病、黄瓜霜霉病均表现出一定的抑菌效果,可作为先导化合物对其结构进行深入的研究,为新农药杀菌剂的开发提供了理论支持.     

A sensitive immunosorbent bio-barcode assay based on real-time immuno-PCR for detecting 3,4,3',4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl

A functionalized gold-nanoparticle bio-barcode assay, based on real-time immuno-PCR (IPCR), was designed for the determination of 3,4,3',4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB77). 15 nm gold nanoparticles were synthesized, and modified with thiol-capped DNA and goat anti-rabbit IgG. The nanoparticle probes were used to replace antibody–DNA conjugate in the IPCR, and were fixed on the PCR tube wall via the immune reaction. Real-time PCR was performed to quantify the DNA signal directly. Under optimized conditions, the new method was used to detect PCB77 with a linearity range from 5 pg L^?1 to 10 ng L^?1, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 1.72 pg L^?1. Real samples of Larimichthys polyactis, collected from the East China Sea, were analyzed. Recovery was from 82 % to 112 %, and the coefficient of variation (CV) was acceptable. The results were compared with GC–ECD, revealing that the method would be acceptable for providing rapid, semi-quantitative, and reliable test results for making environmental decisions.

A wide range optical pH sensor for living cells using Au@Ag nanoparticles functionalized carbon nanotubes based on SERS signals

p-Aminothiophenol (pATP) functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been demonstrated as an efficient pH sensor for living cells. The proposed sensor employs gold/silver core-shell nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs) functionalized MWCNTs hybrid structure as the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate and pATP molecules as the SERS reporters, which possess a pH-dependent SERS performance. By using MWCNTs as the substrate to be in a state of aggregation, the pH sensing range could be extended to pH 3.0～14.0, which is much wider than that using unaggregated Au@Ag NPs without MWCNTs. Furthermore, the pH-sensitive performance was well retained in living cells with a low cytotoxicity. The developed SERS-active MWCNTs-based nanocomposite is expected to be an efficient intracellular pH sensor for bio-applications.     

油页岩固定床热解反应器中内构件强化作用

在内构件(传热板和中心集气管)外热式固定床反应器中研究了油页岩热解产物生成特性,并与无内构件的相同常规固定床反应器内的油页岩热解行为对比,考察了两反应器中油页岩升温特性、热解产物分布、页岩油品质以及气体产物组成的变化规律.结果表明,内置传热板和中心集气管显著强化了反应器内的传热,相对于无内构件常规固定床反应器,料层升温速率提高了约2倍.对于依兰油页岩,其热解页岩油产率明显提高,最高达11.1 wt%(干燥基),明显高于无构件常规固定床反应器获得的页岩油产率.随着外加热炉温度的升高,内构件固定床反应器的页岩油产率逐渐增加,而无内构件常规固定床反应器的页岩油产率则明显降低.当外加热炉温度为1000℃时,前者页岩油产率是后者的2.3倍,并且内构件固定床反应器的热解水产率较低.两反应器中热解气产物组成相近,其H2与CH4之和占气体总量的70 vol%左右,热值为4406~5400 kcal/Nm3.     

Bimetallic amine-bridged bis(phenolate) lanthanide aryloxides and alkoxides: synthesis,characterization, and application in the ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactide and rac-β-butyrolactone

A series of neutral bimetallic lanthanide aryloxides p-C6H4[OLnL(THF)n]2 [Ln = Y(1), Yb(2), Sm(3)(n = 1) and La(4)(n = 2), L = Me2NCH2CH2N{CH2-(2-O–C6H2–tBu2-3,5)}2] and alkoxides p-C6H4CH2[OLnL(THF)]2 [Ln = Y(5), Yb(6)] supported by an amine-bridged bis(phenolate) ligand have been synthesized through one-pot reactions of Ln(C5H5)3(THF), LH2 with p-benzenediol and 1,4-benzenedimethanol, respectively. All complexes have been fully characterized by elemental analyses, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and IR and multi-nuclear NMR spectroscopy(in the cases of 1, 4 and 5). Study of their catalytic behavior revealed that, in general, all complexes are efficient initiators for the polymerization of rac-lactide(LA) and rac-β-butyrolactone(BBL), except for 3 and 4 in the case of BBL. The influence imposed by lanthanides of different ionic radii and initiating groups of different structures on the activity, controllability, and stereoselectivity of polymerization were systematically studied and compared. Highly heterotactic PLA(Pr up to 0.99) and syndiotactic PHB(Pr ≈ 0.81) with high molecular weight and narrow polydispersity formed and were automatically capped with hydroxyl functionality at both ends.     

New high-pressures vapor-liquid equilibrium data for the carbon dioxide + 2-methyl-2-propanol binary system

New vapor-liquid equilibria (VLE) data at 323.15, 333.15, 343.15, and 353.15 K and pressures up to 112.9 bar are reported for the carbon dioxide + 2-methyl-2-propanol system. The experimental method used in this work was a static analytical method with liquid and vapor phases sampling using a rapid online sampler injector (ROLSI?) coupled to a gas chromatograph (GC) for analysis. Measured VLE data and literature data for carbon dioxide + 2-methyl-2-propanol system were modeled with the Soave-Redlich-Kwong (SRK) cubic equation of state with classical van der Waals (two-parameter conventional mixing rule, 2PCMR) mixing rules. A single set of interaction parameters that lead to a correct phase behavior was used in this work to model the new VLE data and critical points of the mixtures in a wide range of temperature and pressure. The SRK prediction results were compared to the new data measured in this study and to available literature data.

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