Minimization of empirical energy functions in proteins including hydrophobic surface area effects

We present analytical expressions to calculate the gradient of the water-accessible surface area of proteins with respect to Cartesian coordinates and dihedral angles. A detailed mathematical analysis leads to corrected equations for the gradient calculation used previously in the ANAREA program. To study the hydrophobic effect of solvent-protein interactions, our expressions have been implemented to further improve the program package FANTOM. We used this version of FANTOM to minimize the ECEPP/2 and the hydrophobic energy of tendamistat. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The mass spectra of small-ring hetero-cycles—II. Aziridinones (α-lactams)

The mass spectra of six aziridinones (α-lactams) are presented. The six aziridinones exhibit the same general fragmentation pattern, the primary processes being loss of the N-t-butyl group, loss of carbon monoxide and loss of t-butyl isocyanate. Several additional rearrangement or fragmentation processes are observed with specific α-lactams.     

Photochemische synthese von H2Fe3-komplexen und ihre aktivität bei der photokatalytischen hydrierung von olefinen und dienen

The photochemical reaction of the trinuclear complex Fe₃(CO)₁₀NSi(CH₃)₃ under hydrogen leads to substitution of the bridging carbonyl group by two hydrogens. The resulting complex H₂Fe₃(CO)₉NSi(CH₃)₃ acts as a catalyst in the photochemical hydrogenation of olefins and dienes.     

Zur Synthese sulfonierter Derivate von 4-Amino-1,3-dimethylbenzol und 2-Amino-1,3-dimethylbenzol

Syntheses of Sulfonated Derivatives of 4-Amino-1, 3-dimethylbenzene and 2-Amino-1, 3-dimethylbenzene Direct sulfonation of 4-amino-1, 3-dimethylbenzene (1) and sulfonation of 4-nitro-1,3-dimethylbenzene ( 4 ) to 4-nitro-1,3-dimethylbenzene-6-sulfonic acid ( 3 ) followed by reduction yield 4-amino-1,3-dimethylbenzene-6-sulfonic acid ( 2 ). The isomeric 5-sulfonic acid ( 5 ) however is prepared solely by baking the acid sulfate salt of 1 . Reaction of sulfur dioxide with the diazonium chloride derived from 2-amino-4-nitro-1,3-dimethylbenzene ( 7 ) leads to 4-nitro-1,3-dimethylbenzene-2-sulfonyl chloride ( 8 ), which is successively hydrolyzed to 4-nitro-1,3-dimethylbenzene-2-sulfonic acid ( 9 ) and reduced to 4-amino-1, 3-dimethylbenzene-2-sulfonic acid ( 6 ). Treatment of 4-amino-6-bromo-1,3-dimethylbenzene ( 12 ) and 4-amino-6-chloro-1, 3-dimethylbenzene ( 13 ), the former obtained by reduction of 4-chloro-6-nitro-1,3-dimethyl-benzene ( 10 ) and the latter from 4-chloro-6-nitro-1, 3-dimethylbenzene ( 11 ), with oleum yield 4-amino-6-bromo-1,3-dimethylbenzene-2-sulfonic acid ( 14 ) and 4-amino-6-chloro-1,3-dimethylbenzene-2-sulfonic acid ( 15 ) respectively; subsequent carbon-halogen hydrogenolyses of 14 and 15 lead also to 6 (Scheme 1). Baking the acid sulfate salt of 2-amino-1, 3-dimethylbenzene ( 17 ) gives 2-amino-1, 3-dimethylbenzene-5-sulfonic acid ( 16 ), whereas the isomeric 4-sulfonic acid ( 18 ) can be prepared by either of the following three possible pathways: Sulfonation of 2-nitro-1,3-dimethylbenzene ( 20 ) to 2-nitro-1,3-dimethylbenzene-4-sulfonic acid ( 21 ) followed by reduction or sulfonation of 2-acetylamino-1,3-dimethylbenzene ( 19 ) to 2-acetylamino-1,3-dimethylbenzene-4-sulfonic acid ( 22 ) with subsequent hydrolysis or direct sulfonation of 17 . Further sulfonation of 18 yields 2-amino 1,3-dimethylbenzene-4,6-disulfonic acid ( 23 ), the structure of which is independently confirmed by reduction of unequivocally prepared 2-nitro- 1,:3-dimethylbenzene-4,6-disulfonic acid ( 24 )(Scheme 2).     

Photoreduction of Triplet Benzophenone by Tertiary Amines: Amine molecular structure and ketyl radical yield

The photoreduction of triplet benzophenone by 14 tertiary amines was investigated. The ketyl radical yields do not correlate with the quenching rate constants, nor with the electron donor propensity of the amines. Individual structural features of the amines seem to determine the photoreduction yields.     

Characterization of antithrombin III from human plasma by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and capillary electrophoretic methods

The isoforms distribution of the glycoprotein antithrombin III (ATIII) derived from human plasma was investigated by means of isoelectric focusing (IEF) in polyacrylamide gels with immobilized pH gradients (IPG) and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) as well as capillary electrophoretic methods. It turned out that the presence of high concentrations of chaotropics (urea, thiourea) and zwitterionic detergents (3-[(3-cholamidepropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS)) was decisive for attaining good resolution of the protein isoforms. Resolution by IPG-IEF was obtained with excellent reproducibility and pI differences down to 0.01 pH units could be distinguished. ATIII-alpha and ATIII-beta-fractions preseparated by heparin affinity chromatography showed an analogous but shifted spot pattern consisting each of one major and three minor isoforms. The main isoforms of ATIII-alpha and ATIII-beta exhibit pI values of 5.18 and 5.32, respectively, both values determined in the presence of high concentrations of urea. The pI difference of 0.14 pH units correspond to the effect of two sialic acids absent in ATIII-beta. The formation and occurrence of ATIII dimers and trimers turned out to be dependent on the sample preparation. The results obtained by 2-DE were compared with those of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and capillary IEF (CIEF). Quantitative analysis regarding the CZE separated isoforms of plasma derived ATIII yielded a content of about 70% ATIII-alpha main isoform and about 6.6% of ATIII-beta. The pI values of ATIII determined by CIEF with internal calibration were in fair agreement with the pI values of the main isoforms achieved with 2-DE.     

1.5-Diaza-3.7-diphospha-cyclooctane

The alkyl (aryl)-bishydroxymethylphosphines react with primary amines to give the title compounds. With optically active amines optically active phosphines are formed.     

pH-sensitive modulation of the second hydration sphere in lanthanide(III) tetraamide-DOTA complexes: a novel approach to smart MR contrast media

The lanthanide(III) complexes of three tetraamide DOTA bearing pyridyl, phenolic and hydroxypyridyl substituents have been studied by NMR, luminescence and cyclic voltammetry. The relaxivity profiles of the gadolinium complexes of the pyridyl and phenolic ligands were flat and essentially the same between pH 2 and 8. The hydroxypyridyl ligand, however, exhibited two regions of enhanced relaxivity. The small relaxivity enhancement (25 %) at lower pH (pH 2-4) has been attributed to an increase in the prototropic exchange of the coordinated water molecule while the slightly larger enhancement (84 %) at higher pH (pH 6-9) reflects deprotonation of the ligand amide protons. Deprotonation of the amides results in the formation of an intramolecular acid-base pair interaction with the phenolic protons and this, in turn, causes a highly organized second hydration sphere to come into effect, thereby increasing the relaxivity. The water relaxivity of the Gd(3+)-hydroxypyridyl complex is further enhanced upon binding to serum albumin.     

The Remarkable Structure of Lithium Cyanide/Isocyanide

Electron correlation corrections have a considerable influence on the relative stabilities of lithium isocyanide ( 1 ), lithium cyanide ( 2 ), and the bridged form, 3 . While Hartree-Fock theory finds 1 to be most stable and 3 not to be a minimum, MP2/6-31G* optimization indicates 3 to be the global minimum. At higher levels employing full fourth-order Møller-Plesset theory and a quadruply split valence and polarized basis set (MP4STDQ/6-311+G*), 2 is only about 2 kcal/mol less stable than 1 and 3 , which are indicated to have nearly the same energy. LiNC thus is similar to C(Na)N and C(K)N, both of which are known to prefer T-shaped (bridged) structures in the gas phase. However, to an even greater extent than formerly realized, rotation of the lithium cation around the cyanide anion nucleus should be practically free. ΔH (LiCN) = 32.8 kcal/mol is estimated from the calculated lithium cation affinity of 151.2 kcal/mol. In addition, we find at the MP4SDTQ/6-31+G*//MP2/6-31G* level that the bridged form of NaCN is favored by 2–3 kcal/mol over the corresponding linear forms, which have nearly the same energy.