Enzymatic polymerizations using surfactant microstructures and the preparation of polymer-ferrite composites

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Horseradish peroxidase has been used as a biocatalyst to synthesize a polymeric material from alkyl-substituted phenols. The synthesis is carried out in a...     

PHOTOCHEMICAL CROSSLINKING OF ATP TO HISTONE H4

Abstract— A covalent crosslink occurs between histone H4 and the adenine moiety of ATP, when the complex they form is irradiated with UV light of Λ > 290 nm in the presence of acetone. Within 1 h of irradiation a 48% yield of crosslinked product is thus obtained. It is also shown that in the photosensitized reaction, 80% of the crosslinked product is monomeric, whereas protein precipitation and aggregation occur as a result of direct irradiation with 254 nm light.     

Crystal and molecular structure ofS-methyl(pentafluorosulfanyl)thiocarbamate

The X-ray structure of S-methyl(pentafluorosulfanyl)thiocarbamate, SF₅NHC(O)SCH₃, has been determined from three-dimensional diffractometer data and refined by full-matrix least-squares techniques. The crystals are monoclinic:P2₁/m,a=5.008 (5),b=7.811 (2),c=9.348 (4) Å, =99.08 (7)°, andZ=2; finalR=0.046 for 517 observed reflections. The structure comprises hydrogen-bonded (NHO) chains with the component monomers in thecis, cis-conformation, i.e., the arrangement of the nonhydrogen and nonfluorine atoms is nearly planar, the SF₅ group and the O are in acis position with respect to the C-NH bond, and the O and the CH₃ group are in acis position with respect to the C(O)-S bond. Theoretical methods including MNDO and molecular modeling were used to study the relative stabilities of the four possible conformations of SF₅NHC(O)SCH₃.     

Synthesis and antifolate activity of 8,10-dideazaminopterin

A synthesis of 8,10-dideazaminopterin, using 2,4-diamino-6-bromomethyl-8-deazapteridine ( 2 ) as a key intermediate, is described. Condensation of the triphenylphosphinylide derived from 2 with p-formylbenzoyl-L-glutamate afforded a 9,10-dehydro-8,10-dideazaminopterin ester intermediate 5 . Hydrogenation of the olefinic linkage and subsequent hydrolysis of the glutamate ester gave the title compound. 8,10-Dideazaminopterin was a potent growth inhibitor of folate dependent bacteria. It was 16 times more potent then methotrexate as an inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase derived from L1210 leukemia cells, and showed strong activity against L1210 in mice.     

Synthesis and characterization of polymers produced by horseradish peroxidase in dioxane

Polymers were synthesized from substituted phenolic and aromatic amine compounds with hydrogen peroxide as the source of an oxidizing agent and horseradish peroxidase enzyme as the catalyst. The polymerization reaction was carried out in a monophasic organic solvent with small amounts of water at room temperature. Conditions for the synthesis of polymers with respect to reaction time and yield were studied with a number of monomers at different concentrations and in solvents with different buffers with pH range of 5.0–7.5. Physical and chemical properties of these homo-and copolymers were determined with respect to melting point, solubility, elemental analysis, molecular weight distribution, infrared absorption (including FTIR), solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance, thermal gravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. The enzyme catalyzed reactions produced polymers of molecular weight greater than 400,000 which were further fractionated by differential solubility in solvent mixtures and the molecular weight distribution of the polymer fractions were determined. In general, the polymers synthesized have low solubilities, high melting points, and some degree of branching.     

Evaluation of an Economical Sunlamp that Emits a Near Solar UV Power Spectrum for Conducting Photoimmunological and Sunscreen Immune Protection Studies

Expense and inconvenience have restricted the use of the filtered xenon are lamp (solar simulator) as a UV source for conducting large-scale animal studies. Because sunscreen immunoprotective levels are significantly affected by the UV power spectrum of the source it is imperative that a solar simulating source be used for accurate measurements of sunscreen protection levels that are relevant to human UV exposures from sunlight. However, relatively inexpensive sunlamps, e. g. the UVA-340, that emit a UV power spectrum similar to that of a solar simulator are available. Unlike FS-type UVB sunlamps, which have a significant amount of effective immunosuppressive nonsolar UV energy at wavelengths below 295 nm, the immunosuppression effectiveness spectrum of UVA-340 sunlamps was nearly identical to that of a solar simulator. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this sunlamp for conducting photoimmunological and sunscreen immune protection studies. Groups of C3H mice were exposed to a range of UVA-340 sunlamp doses (0.25 KJ/m² to 20.0 KJ/m²) to establish a dose-response curve and determine the minimum immune suppression dose (MISD) for induction of local-type suppression of contact hypersensitivity (CH). The MISD, defined as the lowest UV dose given to produce ～50% suppression of the CH response in mice, was determined to be 1.0 kJ/m² for UVA-340 sunlamps. Immune protection tests on four marketed sunscreen lotions (sun protection factors [SPF] 4, 8, 15 and 30) were then conducted with UVA-340 sunlamps using MISD as the endpoint. The immune protection factors for these sunscreens were equivalent to the level of protection predicated by their labeled SPF. These results are similar to those we have previously obtained using a solar simulator. We conclude from these data that the immunosuppressive effects of UVA-340 sunlamps are similar to those of a solar simulator; however, further studies are needed to determine if UVA-340, or similar, sunlamps are a viable alternative to the solar simulator for conducting large-scale animal experiments that require a relevant UV solar spectrum.     

Solid-phase synthesis using a new polyacrylic resin : Synthesis of the fragment 14–21 of the amino acid sequence of histone H4

The solid-phase synthesis of the octapeptide 1 AcGly-Ala-Lys-Arg-His-Arg-Lys-ValOMe, which represents the fragment 14-21 of the amino acid sequence of the chromosomal histone H4, as well as of the structurally related nonapeptide 2 AcGly-Ala-Lys-Leu-Arg-His-Arg-Lys-ValOMe, is described using a new polyacrylic resin containing a glycolamide ester linkage(resin-NHCO-CH₂-OCO-peptide) acting as a labile anchoring moiety between the resin and the peptide.After elongation of the polypeptide chain using classical protecting groups, i.e. t-butyloxycarbonyl for the α-NH₂ function, benzyloxycarbonyl, nitro and 2,4-dinitrophenyl groups for the side-chains of Lys, Arg and His respectively, both peptides 1 and 2 were obtained in good yields and with a high purity as shown by high-pressure liquid chromatography, by amino-acid analysis and by high-field proton NMR spectroscopy.This work demonstrates the ability of the newly introduced polyacrylic resin to act as a convenient support for solid-phase peptide synthesis.     

Direct determination of calcium,copper, iron,magnesium, manganese and zinc in amniotic fluid samples using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry

An inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometric method is reported for the determination of calcium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium and zinc. Samples are introduced directly when a sheath gas device is used. An external calibration procedure is used. The standards are prepared in a matrix composed of 0.5% (w/v) albumin and 0.76% (w/v) sodium chloride. The procedure was evaluated with a standard reference material (NBS SRM 909 Human Serum); all the values obtained are in agreement with the certified values. Results obtained for the determination of zinc, calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and manganese in amniotic fluid samples are reported.