Inter- and intrastrand DNA crosslinks by 2-fluoro-substituted pyrrolobenzodiazepine dimers: stability, stereochemistry and drug orientation

A 2-fluoro-substituted pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine (PBD) dimer with a 1,4-di-n-propyl piperazine linker was studied with respect to its binding and crosslinking capability towards double-helical DNA targets. Duplex thermal stabilizations upon drug binding as measured by UV melting experiments suggest that two guanine bases separated by four AT base pairs constitute the favorable binding site for the PBD dimer. Large stabilizations were observed for the self-complementary duplex d(AACAATTGTT)(2) as well as for the non-self-complementary duplex d(AAGAATTGTT)·d(AACAATTCTT) with both guanines located on the same strand. Formation of interstrand and intrastrand crosslinks by the covalent binding of both PBD moieties of the dimer to the exocyclic 2-amino group of the two guanine bases within the duplex minor groove was confirmed by NMR structural studies. In both the symmetric and non-symmetric DNA-PBD adducts the newly created stereogenic center at C11 of the tricyclic PBD subunits favors an S configuration. Different orientations of the PBD aromatic A-ring with respect to the covalently modified guanine as observed in the non-symmetric complex are shown to result in characteristic changes of PBD H11 and H11a proton chemical shifts. Based on a compilation of available NMR data on various PBD complexes, these differences may be used as valuable probes for the identification of PBD orientational preferences in DNA-PBD adducts.     

Conformational Analysis of Guaianolide-Type Sesquiterpene Lactones by Low-Temperature NMR Spectroscopy and Semiempirical Calculations

Conformational analysis of 9-acetoxycumambrine A 1 and 8-O-isobutiryl-9-acetoxycumambrine B 2 was carried out by low-temperature NMR studies. Results suggested that lactones 1 and 2 are mixtures of two distinctive conformers, I and II. Based on low-temperature ¹H NMR spectra, in four solvents, the thermodynamic parameters of I II exchange process were assessed. Energy of activation of I II reaction was obtained by dynamic NMR simulations for both compounds. Results revealed that conformational exchange of lactones 1 and 2 occurs due to chair twisted chair interconversion of a heptane ring. The same PM3 semiempirical method was applied for geometry optimization of lactones 1 and 2, as well as of 9-hydroxycumambrine A 3, 9-acetoxycumambrine B 4, and cumambrine B 5.     

Preparative separation of di- and trisulfonated components of Quinoline Yellow using affinity-ligand pH-zone-refining counter-current chromatography

Four positionally isomeric 2-(2-quinolinyl)-1H-indene-1,3(2H)-dionedisulfonic acids (SA) and one triSA, components of the color additive Quinoline Yellow (QY, Color Index No. 47005), were isolated from the dye mixture by affinity-ligand pH-zone-refining counter-current chromatography (CCC) through complementary use of ion-exchange and ion-pair reagents as the ligand. The added ligands facilitated the partitioning of the very polar polysulfonated components into the organic stationary phase of the two-phase solvent systems that consisted of isoamyl alcohol–methyl tert-butyl ether–acetonitrile–water (3:5:1:7), (3:4:1:7) or (3:1:1:5). Thus, separation of a 5-g portion of QY using sulfuric acid as the retainer and dodecylamine as the ligand (an ion-exchange reagent, 20% in the stationary phase), resulted in 1.21 g of 6′,5-diSA and 1.69 g of 6′,8′,5-triSA, both of over 99% purity. A minor component, 8′,4-diSA, not previously reported was also obtained (4.8 mg of over 94% purity) through a similar separation of a different batch of QY using hydrochloric acid as the retainer and 10% dodecylamine as the ligand in the stationary phase. Two components that co-eluted (0.55 g) in the 5 g separation were separated when trifluoroacetic acid was used as the retainer and tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (an ion-pair reagent) as the ligand. The separation resulted in 20.7 mg of 6′,4-diSA, not previously reported, and 111.8 mg of 8′,5-diSA, both of over 98% purity. The isolated compounds were characterized by high-resolution mass spectrometry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance with correlated spectroscopy assignments.     

Molecular Recognition and Visual Detection of G‐Quadruplexes by a Dicarbocyanine Dye

The interactions of a dicarbocyanine dye 3,3′‐diethylthiadicarbocyanine, DiSC₂(5) , with DNA G‐quadruplexes were studied by means of a combination of various spectroscopic techniques. Aggregation of excess dye as a result of its positive charge is promoted by the presence of the polyanionic quadruplex structure. Specific high‐affinity binding to the parallel quadruplex of the MYC promoter sequence involves stacking of DiSC₂(5) on the external G‐tetrads; the 5′‐terminal tetrad is the favored binding site. Significant energy transfer between DNA and the dye in the UV spectral region is observed upon DiSC₂(5) binding. The transfer efficiency strongly depends on the DNA secondary structure as well as on the G‐quadruplex topology. These photophysical features enable the selective detection of DNA quadruplexes through sensitized DiSC₂(5) fluorescence in the visible region.     

Generalization of Hardy–Littlewood maximal inequality with variable exponent

Let $p(·)$ be a measurable function defined on ${\mathbb{R}}^d$ and $p_{-}:={inf}_{x\in {\mathbb{R}}^d}p(x)$. In this paper, we generalize the Hardy–Littlewood maximal operator. In the definition, instead of cubes or balls, we take the supremum over all rectangles the side lengths of which are in a cone-like set defined by a given function ψ. Moreover, instead of the integral means, we consider the $L_{q(·)}$-means. Let $p(·)$ and $q(·)$ satisfy the log-Hülder condition and $p(·)=q(·)r(·)$. Then, we prove that the maximal operator is bounded on $L_{p(·)}$ if and is bounded from $L_{p(·)}$ to the weak $L_{p(·)}$ if $1\le r_{-}\le \infty$. We generalize also the theorem about the Lebesgue points.